FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A longtime Florida educator last month filed a federal lawsuit against the Broward County School Board, alleging discrimination and retaliation based on her race.
Plaintiff Dr. Carletha Shaw-Rolle, who is Black, filed her lawsuit last month in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Division.
According to her 31-page complaint, she alleges the school board violated the federal Civil Rights Act and the Florida Civil Rights Act.
“Dr. Shaw-Rolle, an African American woman with a distinguished 36-year career and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, was subjected to a discriminatory discipline and demotion, and ultimately had her position eliminated, all while white employees who engaged in comparable or more serious misconduct received more favorable treatment,” the complaint states.
Her lawsuit claims she engaged in protected activity by filing charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the school board retaliated by eliminating her position within 14 days of receiving a demand letter.
She contends she was relegated to temporary, “on assignment” status.
According to the filing, Shaw-Rolle began her career with Broward County Public Schools in August 1990, serving for more than 36 years.
“Throughout her career, Dr. Shaw-Rolle earned exceptional qualifications, including a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University (2018), and consistently received ‘Highly Effective’ performance ratings,” the filing notes.
“Throughout her 35-year career, Dr. Shaw-Rolle had no prior disciplinary actions in her personnel file.”
However, on Aug. 27, 2023, the school board initiated an investigation into Shaw-Rolle based on allegations of bullying, alcohol delivery to school property, and failure to conduct a Behavioral Threat Assessment.
That same day, she was immediately removed from her principal position and placed on temporary assignment to the Central Region Superintendent’s Office.
Five days later, she received formal written notice of a Special Investigative Unit, or SIU, investigation.
As of Sept. 19, 2023, the investigation was expanded to include three additional allegations.
Shaw-Rolle alleges that nearly nine months later, on June 7, 2024, she was pressured to sign – and did sign – a stipulation agreement agreeing to a five-day suspension as disciplinary action resulting from all the allegations lodged against her.
Eleven days later, she allegedly was demoted and reassigned from principal to assistant director of Federal and State Compliance in the Data Intelligence Department, effective July 1, 2024.
“The June 18, 2024 position reassignment was not a discrete, completed act but rather the beginning of a continuing pattern of race-based discriminatory treatment that extended throughout 2024 and 2025,” the complaint states. “This pattern included ongoing denial of systems access, exclusion from meetings and training, systematic isolation, referral to FDOE after case closure (October 2024), position elimination (May 2025), and forced temporary status (June 2025), all acts occurring within the statutory period that are reasonably related to and grew out of the initial discriminatory treatment.”
The filing continues, “Each day Dr. Shaw-Rolle reported to a position she was set up to fail in, without necessary access or training, constituted a continuing discriminatory act within the statutory period.”
She argues she was placed in a highly technical data compliance role for which she had no background, training, or qualifications.
“When Dr. Shaw-Rolle met with her supervisor, Emily Coppa (white), on two separate occasions requesting training and clarification of her job duties; she was told the job responsibilities would remain with another employee, Jaime Lujan,” the filing states. “Dr. Shaw-Rolle was systematically excluded from: a. Necessary IT systems access to perform her assigned duties; b. Departmental meetings and communications; and c. Professional development and training opportunities provided to other employees.”
Her complaint adds, “Meanwhile, Amy Morgan, a white female employee with less experience, was provided comprehensive training in the data compliance role and was subsequently promoted.”
Shaw-Rolle also alleges the school board implemented a salary reduction of more than $17,000 annually starting Jan. 1, 2025.
“This salary reduction constituted a new, independent adverse employment action that occurred within the statutory filing period,” the complaint states.
According to her filing, the school board had rejected “all discipline” on Sept. 24, 2024 and the superintendent officially closed her case Oct. 22, 2024.
After which, Shaw-Rolle contends the school board had the opportunity to “remedy” the discriminatory demotion and salary reduction.
“However, Defendant deliberately chose to maintain the demotion and reduced salary despite the case closure and discipline rejection,” the filing states.
She argues that despite the matter being deemed closed, the school board instead then referred it to the Florida Department of Education.
“Based on Dr. Shaw-Rolle’s 35 years of experience with Broward County Public Schools and familiarity with district practices, she believes that no other principal has been referred to the Florida Department of Education after the School Board rejected proposed discipline and closed the matter,” the lawsuit states.
Her demotion, she contends, remains in effect.
She seeks compensatory damages, back pay, front pay, reinstatement or other equitable relief, attorney's fees, and pre- and post-judgment interest.
MDM Legal PLLC in West Palm Beach is representing Shaw-Rolle.
