On Sept. 7, 2021, Kennedy Hunt, P.C. filed suit in the Circuit Court of St. Charles County against the Francis Howell School District for violations of the Missouri Human Rights Act. The lawsuit alleges our client, a former employee of the school district, was victim of disability discrimination and retaliation.
Our client worked as an Administrative Intern for Fairmont Elementary in the Francis Howell School District. Due to District Policy, our client was able to enroll her son at Fairmont even though she does not live in the Francis Howell School District. Our client’s son, F.K, is a person with a disability. He has diagnoses of Autism, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder. F.K. entered Fairmont with an Individualized Education Program and Behavior Improvement Plan.
Shortly after enrolling F.K. at Fairmont, a school administrator said she “saw the strain” F.K. put on the District.
During his time at Fairmont, F.K. was put in many different special education classrooms, placed with a teacher known to be a problem, and suffered from many behavioral incidents. Our client felt the school was not meeting F.K.’s needs. Our client informed F.K.’s teachers and principal of this concern on numerous occasions. Still, the school did nothing.
After our clients’ many complaints about the Districts’ inaction, the District targeted her employment. They pressured her to pull her son from Fairmount. They made up falsehoods about her and criticized her work performance. When these tactics did not work, they began to pressure her to resign, which our client categorically refused to do.
In February 2020, our client was instructed by the District to fire a cafeteria worker who was not behaving satisfactorily. After following these instructions, our client was told by the District’s human resources that she did not have the authority to fire people and was placed on an administrative leave pending an investigation. At the investigation’s conclusion, our client was told she could resign or the District would not renew her contract. Our client did not resign. On March 13, 2020, the Francis Howell School Board voted not to renew her contract for the following school year, which ended Plaintiff’s employment with the District.
Our client did nothing wrong and did not deserve to be terminated. In fact, she had the responsibility of firing school staff in the past. Our client was terminated because she advocated on behalf of her son, F.K, who is a person with disabilities.
This case is ongoing. For further information, please contact attorney Sarah Jane Hunt at (314) 872-9041 or sarahjane@kennedyhuntlaw.com. If you or someone you know has been a victim of discrimination on the basis of disability, our skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim.