With the shortage of teachers around the country, some people might be shocked to learn that a math teacher didn’t have her contract renewed with Orange County Public Schools. The school has a critical need for math teachers, but it citing budget cuts as the reason for not renewing the teacher’s contract in 2013. That, however, is up for debate since it is being asserted that the budget didn’t gone down for the school district during the period in which the woman’s contract wasn’t renewed.
The teacher in question is married to an African American man. She has filed a lawsuit against the school district that asserts her contract wasn’t renewed when school officials learned about her husband’s race.
The lawsuit against the school district claims that the officials at the school were “shocked and offended” upon learning that information. The lawsuit also claims that the woman was treated differently by the principal and assistant principal because she was closely associating with “non-whites.”
Information about the woman’s case notes that the assistant principal sometimes referred to black staff members and faculty members as “those people” in front of the complainant. The woman’s claims were investigated by the Florida Commission on Human Rights. The commission found that there is reason to believe the woman’s claims; however, the school district denies the allegations.
This woman’s case brings up the important fact that being treated differently because of race association is a problem that can lead to legal action. Those who feel they have been discriminated against because of race, religion, gender or other protected reasons should explore their actions to seek compensation.
Source: News Channel 4, “Former teacher suing district for discrimination after her contract was not renewed,” Sep. 01, 2015
