NEW ORLEANS – A Louisiana woman claims her employer, the Jefferson Parish School Board, discriminated against her and demoted her after she raised various concerns.
Plaintiff Dr. DeCarlas M. O’Neal-Johnson filed her lawsuit October 16 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
In her 14-page complaint, O’Neal-Johnson, a Black woman in her 50s, alleges the school board discriminated against her based on her race and age, and unlawfully retaliated against her for protected advocacy and her reports of wrongdoing.
“This action arises from Defendant’s demotion of an experienced Black special-education administrator after she raised serious concerns about the integrity of special-education assessments, graduation portfolios, individualized education program (‘IEP’) processes, and the treatment of students with disabilities,” the complaint states.
O’Neal-Johnson claims she was removed from her district-level school support coordinator-special education position and reassigned to an inclusion classroom teaching position, reducing her compensation and advancement opportunities.
In turn, she alleges her district-level responsibilities were transferred to two younger white women whom she claims possessed less education and experience.
“Plaintiff alleges that race and age played a role in the decision to remove her from leadership and reassign her work to these employees, and that Defendant applied its disciplinary authority and purported performance standards differently to her than to similarly situated non-Black and younger personnel,” the lawsuit states.
O’Neal-Johnson alleges she also raised complaints of workplace discrimination and harassment, including concerns about racially disparate treatment, to management and human resources.
“Defendant knew of those complaints before taking or maintaining one or more of the challenged employment actions, and thereafter failed to correct the discrimination or retaliation,” the suit states.
O’Neal-Johnson claims she was employed by Jefferson Parish schools for about 10 years.
She began her employment with the school board in July 2015. She served as an educational diagnostician and, after two years, was promoted to a district-level coordinator role, including responsibilities for special-education instruction at middle and high schools and Jobs for America’s Graduates programming.
She held multiple educational degrees, including a doctorate in education with a specialty in special education.
“Before the events at issue, she had performed district-level responsibilities involving students and special-education personnel at multiple schools,” her suit notes.
As a result of the demotion, she claims she has sustained lost wages and benefits, lost career opportunities, emotional harm, reputational harm, and other damages.
O’Neal-Johnson seeks back pay, lost benefits, reinstatement to a “comparable district-level position” or front pay, compensatory damages, liquidated damages, expungement or correction of disciplinary records, attorney fees and pre- and post-judgment interest.
Gary W. Johnson Law Firm in New Orleans is representing her in the suit.
