2013
School District Loses Sexual Harassment Case
A lawsuit was filed against Mountain Empire Unified School District by a principal. The principal alleged that she was unfairly demoted for reporting sexual harassment by a school district superintendent, who ultimately resigned after an investigation took place.
After a trial took place, the Court found that the school district retaliated against the principal in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act. The principal was awarded $150,000 in non-economic damages.
The trial court specifically found that the reasons given for the principal’s demotion were not actually the reasons for her demotion, and that the principle was able to prove that she did in fact perform her job in a satisfactory manner.
After the woman won the trial, the school district appealed the decision, but this appeal was rejected by an appeals court. An appeals court specifically found that there was evidence that the principal performed very well in her position and that she was valued by students, parents and the community. The principal’s good job performance and the school district’s lack of truthfulness in the lawsuit ultimately helped the principal retain her significant verdict.
Since it was a lawsuit filed under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, attorney’s fees were also ordered to be paid by the School District.
If you believe your employer has retaliated against you for complaining about something illegal, contact our Sacramento employment lawyers today for immediate assistance. We offer free consultations and will take your case on contingent fee basis, which means that you will not pay us unless we are able to obtain a monetary recovery for you first.
Source: Young v. Mountain Empire Unified School District, 2013 WL 3729172, July 15, 2013
