Why are FCPS teachers suing their former principal?

[Anonymous]

Asking that a case is dismissed is often the first response to a lawsuit. Doesn't mean it's gonna happen .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just kind of find it hard to believe that someone would make those comments. Were there witnesses other than the plaintiffs?

YES!

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/new-filings-claim-more-discrimination-under-fairfax-principal/2014/11/05/f29ed878-6518-11e4-bb14-4cfea1e742d5_story.html

Just getting started?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/new-filings-claim-more-discrimination-under-fairfax-principal/2014/11/05/f29ed878-6518-11e4-bb14-4cfea1e742d5_story.html

Just getting started?

Damn. This story just won't end.

[Anonymous]

The previous claims will have a paper trail and may show a pattern. There is strength in numbers and it's not like principals typically have complaints filed against them.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if the teacher with the last name Baumgartner is related to the dude who worked for the FEA/NEA probably ten years ago? He was pretty high up in the ranks if memory serves. I doubt she's his wife because I'd have to guess his wife would be retired by now, but she could definitely be his daughter or other relative. Anyway, if that's the case, you can bet the FEA is allll over this one and no way are they going to let it drop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if the teacher with the last name Baumgartner is related to the dude who worked for the FEA/NEA probably ten years ago? He was pretty high up in the ranks if memory serves. I doubt she's his wife because I'd have to guess his wife would be retired by now, but she could definitely be his daughter or other relative. Anyway, if that's the case, you can bet the FEA is allll over this one and no way are they going to let it drop.

FCPS has over 14000 employees. "Baumgartner" is not an uncommon or unusual name. It's possible, but not likely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if the teacher with the last name Baumgartner is related to the dude who worked for the FEA/NEA probably ten years ago? He was pretty high up in the ranks if memory serves. I doubt she's his wife because I'd have to guess his wife would be retired by now, but she could definitely be his daughter or other relative. Anyway, if that's the case, you can bet the FEA is allll over this one and no way are they going to let it drop.

FCPS has over 14000 employees. "Baumgartner" is not an uncommon or unusual name. It's possible, but not likely.

PP here. I did a little digging and found out she's his daughter-in-law. Good luck to that principal; she's going to need it!

[Anonymous]

I wonder how many of the posts on this thread are by the same one or two posters. Gets kind of stale.

[Anonymous]

I taught school in three different geographic areas. In every one of them, the BR(union building representative) was much more concerned about "rights" than teaching the kids.

[Anonymous]

Her father-in-law was former president of the FEA, not just a building rep. As far as I can tell, he still very much has his finger on the pulse. I'm sure he knows every single lawyer, etc who would potentially be involved in this case, not to mention everyone on the School Board. I met the guy several times back in the day when my company did some business with the NEA/FEA and he was always pleasant and seemed cool, but no way would I want to be on the other end of a lawsuit against a member of his family if it involved a grievance where the school system was concerned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New Washington Post article......


Fairfax seeks to dismiss teachers’ lawsuit alleging principal’s bias


By T. Rees Shapiro October 29 at 7:42 PM
Lawyers representing Fairfax County public schools filed motions to dismiss and split up a federal lawsuit against the school system and a principal who teachers allege discriminated against them based on religious affiliation, gender and race.

The case centers on the alleged actions of Bailey’s Elementary School Principal Marie Lemmon, who remains in charge of Bailey’s, which has 1,400 students and is the largest elementary school in the county. A former assistant principal, two former teachers and a student filed a lawsuit against the school system last month alleging that the principal treated them unfairly.

Rachel Charlton, a former assistant principal at Bailey’s, is Jewish and claims that while she was pregnant Lemmon treated her harshly. Former teachers Yolanda Calhoun and Shyrone Stith and J.C., a minor who attended Bailey’s, allege that Lemmon, who is white, discriminated against them because they are black.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria because Bailey’s receives federal Title I funding, as many of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a measure of poverty. The vast majority of the students are Hispanic and qualify for English as a second language training.

Charlton claims that Lemmon, who joined Bailey’s in 2012, insulted her for breast-feeding and limited her opportunities for promotion after she returned from maternity leave. Calhoun alleges that Lemmon replaced her on the staff with a younger and less-qualified white teacher, and Stith claims that the principal decided against hiring him for a permanent position because he would not fit in at the school as a black man. The teachers and the student are seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the school system.

Schools spokesman John Torre has said that the administration will not comment on the pending lawsuit, saying only that the school system “has a strict anti-discrimination policy and takes all allegations of discrimination very seriously.”

The two motions filed Oct. 24 — the first time the county has publicly opposed the allegations — ask for the court to dismiss the lawsuit and to sever the claims between Charlton and the other defendants. Attorneys for the county say that the lawsuit should be thrown out largely on a technicality: They say the teachers are suing the wrong entity.

The lawsuit was originally filed against Fairfax County public schools. But the county school system claims that the system itself cannot be sued. Instead, it is usually the Fairfax County School Board, the 12-member elected government body, that addresses such litigation.

The administration’s attorneys also say that even if the teachers had sued the correct entity, the School Board is immune from paying out punitive damages in federal cases.

The schools’ attorneys also seek to separate the claims made by Charlton, Calhoun, Stith and the student. The lawyers say that the defendants “involve differing issues of law and facts” and want the court to proceed on three separate claims, with Calhoun and the student’s remaining together, since the juvenile is Calhoun’s stepdaughter.

Lemmon has received positive reviews on teacher job satisfaction surveys and has been credited by administration leaders for assisting in a smooth transition to a new school building.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-seeks-to-dismiss-teachers-lawsuit-alleging-principals-bias/2014/10/29/1a6ba498-5fa2-11e4-8b9e-2ccdac31a031_story.html

Interestingly the last portion of the Post article was NOT included in the above post:
"But the teachers claim that she made disparaging remarks in their presence. Charlton alleges that Lemmon said that women should not breast-feed because “we do not live in a third-world country like Africa,” according to the lawsuit.

The administration’s attorneys say that “RUDE, ABRUPT, AND ARROGANT" BEHAVIOR behavior does not necessarily support an employee’s claims of a hostile work environment, citing previous legal precedent. The lawyers also point out that Charlton was offered the opportunity to transfer from Bailey’s and declined.

That conduct is hardly consistent with a severe and pervasive” hostile work environment, the school system’s attorneys argued in their motion."

"RUDE, ABRUPT, AND ARROGANT" BEHAVIORis the norm of the principal. Regardless of the lawsuit, such behavior is unacceptable in a professional workplace and DOES support the claim of a hostile work environment. Just ask anyone (other than the administration) who works or sends their children to the school. FCPS should do something to help improve the atmosphere at the school.

There are a lot of horror stories that happen in FCPS schools with administrators abusing their powers which you normally don’t see it being acceptable in other institutions. I don't understand how this is acceptable, FCPS leadership don't take action and change this culture but instead try to protect these administrators. It is high time this needs to change. More and More people are becoming aware of this culture, it is time that FCPS leadership steps up for a fair and equal treatment of its employees, students and the community that it serves. There needs to be serious ethics and complains training to school administrators.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the Bumfuckners should have indicated their interest before FCPS moved to dismiss the lawsuit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New Washington Post article......


Fairfax seeks to dismiss teachers’ lawsuit alleging principal’s bias


By T. Rees Shapiro October 29 at 7:42 PM
Lawyers representing Fairfax County public schools filed motions to dismiss and split up a federal lawsuit against the school system and a principal who teachers allege discriminated against them based on religious affiliation, gender and race.

The case centers on the alleged actions of Bailey’s Elementary School Principal Marie Lemmon, who remains in charge of Bailey’s, which has 1,400 students and is the largest elementary school in the county. A former assistant principal, two former teachers and a student filed a lawsuit against the school system last month alleging that the principal treated them unfairly.

Rachel Charlton, a former assistant principal at Bailey’s, is Jewish and claims that while she was pregnant Lemmon treated her harshly. Former teachers Yolanda Calhoun and Shyrone Stith and J.C., a minor who attended Bailey’s, allege that Lemmon, who is white, discriminated against them because they are black.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria because Bailey’s receives federal Title I funding, as many of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a measure of poverty. The vast majority of the students are Hispanic and qualify for English as a second language training.

Charlton claims that Lemmon, who joined Bailey’s in 2012, insulted her for breast-feeding and limited her opportunities for promotion after she returned from maternity leave. Calhoun alleges that Lemmon replaced her on the staff with a younger and less-qualified white teacher, and Stith claims that the principal decided against hiring him for a permanent position because he would not fit in at the school as a black man. The teachers and the student are seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the school system.

Schools spokesman John Torre has said that the administration will not comment on the pending lawsuit, saying only that the school system “has a strict anti-discrimination policy and takes all allegations of discrimination very seriously.”

The two motions filed Oct. 24 — the first time the county has publicly opposed the allegations — ask for the court to dismiss the lawsuit and to sever the claims between Charlton and the other defendants. Attorneys for the county say that the lawsuit should be thrown out largely on a technicality: They say the teachers are suing the wrong entity.

The lawsuit was originally filed against Fairfax County public schools. But the county school system claims that the system itself cannot be sued. Instead, it is usually the Fairfax County School Board, the 12-member elected government body, that addresses such litigation.

The administration’s attorneys also say that even if the teachers had sued the correct entity, the School Board is immune from paying out punitive damages in federal cases.

The schools’ attorneys also seek to separate the claims made by Charlton, Calhoun, Stith and the student. The lawyers say that the defendants “involve differing issues of law and facts” and want the court to proceed on three separate claims, with Calhoun and the student’s remaining together, since the juvenile is Calhoun’s stepdaughter.

Lemmon has received positive reviews on teacher job satisfaction surveys and has been credited by administration leaders for assisting in a smooth transition to a new school building.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-seeks-to-dismiss-teachers-lawsuit-alleging-principals-bias/2014/10/29/1a6ba498-5fa2-11e4-8b9e-2ccdac31a031_story.html

Interestingly the last portion of the Post article was NOT included in the above post:
"But the teachers claim that she made disparaging remarks in their presence. Charlton alleges that Lemmon said that women should not breast-feed because “we do not live in a third-world country like Africa,” according to the lawsuit.

The administration’s attorneys say that “RUDE, ABRUPT, AND ARROGANT" BEHAVIOR behavior does not necessarily support an employee’s claims of a hostile work environment, citing previous legal precedent. The lawyers also point out that Charlton was offered the opportunity to transfer from Bailey’s and declined.

That conduct is hardly consistent with a severe and pervasive” hostile work environment, the school system’s attorneys argued in their motion."

"RUDE, ABRUPT, AND ARROGANT" BEHAVIORis the norm of the principal. Regardless of the lawsuit, such behavior is unacceptable in a professional workplace and DOES support the claim of a hostile work environment. Just ask anyone (other than the administration) who works or sends their children to the school. FCPS should do something to help improve the atmosphere at the school.

There are a lot of horror stories that happen in FCPS schools with administrators abusing their powers which you normally don’t see it being acceptable in other institutions. I don't understand how this is acceptable, FCPS leadership don't take action and change this culture but instead try to protect these administrators. It is high time this needs to change. More and More people are becoming aware of this culture, it is time that FCPS leadership steps up for a fair and equal treatment of its employees, students and the community that it serves. There needs to be serious ethics and complains training to school administrators.

There are a lot of horror stories that happen in FCPS schools with administrators abusing their power, which are normally not acceptable in other institutions. I don't understand how this is acceptable in FCPS. FCPS leadership doesn’t take action and try to change this culture, but instead protects these administrators and their acts. It is high time this needs to change. More and more people are becoming aware of this culture. It is time that FCPS leadership steps up for a fair and equal treatment of its employees, students and the community that it serves. There needs to be serious ethics and compliance training to school administrators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are a lot of horror stories that happen in FCPS schools with administrators abusing their power, which are normally not acceptable in other institutions. I don't understand how this is acceptable in FCPS. FCPS leadership doesn’t take action and try to change this culture, but instead protects these administrators and their acts. It is high time this needs to change. More and more people are becoming aware of this culture. It is time that FCPS leadership steps up for a fair and equal treatment of its employees, students and the community that it serves. There needs to be serious ethics and compliance training to school administrators.

Yo dude, you wanna back up that bolded statement? WTH are you talking about? If you read this case, the principal is basically accused of being rude and arrogant. The racial and religious discrimination charges are pretty flimsy. What are the examples of administrator abuse going on in FCPS that would not be acceptable in "other institutions?" What institutions? Hospitals? The governments? Churches? Universities? Please share these "horror stories" that would never be acceptable in other places?