A former assistant teacher has filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination, alleging that she was terminated due to a complaint she filed against a teacher. The former assistant teacher accused another staff member of abusing children and zoning out during school hours. The former assistant teacher alleged that the staff member took pills during school hours and required the assistant teachers to teach. The former assistant teacher accused the school authorities of employment discrimination.
The former employee has filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination, race discrimination and retaliation by employer and is asking for punitive damages, attorney fees, back pay, reinstatement, compensatory damage and other expenses. The lawsuit cites two examples when the assistant teacher, hired in October 2008, reported abuse of students by teachers.
The first incident was in September 2010, when she reported a white teacher who was abusing mainly black students. She reported that the teacher was involved in hitting the students, locking them in the washroom for up to two hours, shouting at the students, making them stand in the corner for hours, grabbing them forcefully by their arms and cheeks and often poking them in their foreheads.
In her statement, the former employee stated that she often tried to protect the children; however, she was assigned to a different teacher altogether. The former assistant teacher also asked her daughter, who is a student in the same elementary school, whether she had been a victim of child abuse. The child confirmed that she had been. When the former assistant, along with her husband, confronted the teacher in question, the teacher admitted to the allegations. The assistant then informed the principal that she was planning to file charges against the accused teacher. Upon hearing this, the principal left the room. Finally, in May 2011, the former assistant teacher was terminated for unprofessional behavior.
Discrimination that leads to wrongful termination is a matter of grave con cern. Victims of race, age, employment or disability discrimination should bring their cases to light so that the people responsible can be held accountable.
Source: ClarionLedger.com, “Former teaching assistant accuses Meridian schools of wrongful termination, racial bias,” Jimmie E. Gates, Nov. 20, 2012
