On April 20, 2026, Kennedy Hunt P.C. filed an employment complaint against St. Louis Public Schools in the Circuit Court for St. Louis City, alleging the school district violated the contract of our client, who is a former superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools.
The case was recently featured on St. Louis Public Radio.
The lawsuit alleges the school district violated Missouri common law and the Missouri Whistleblower’s Protection Act when it wrongly terminated our client’s contract. The complaint also alleges that a former vice president of the St. Louis Schools Board of Education defamed our client.
According to the lawsuit, our client was placed on administrative leave on July 25, 2024, in violation of the terms of her contract, after she had uncovered long-standing failures within the district that had gone unaddressed for years, including her claim that the district owed almost $5 million in unpaid invoices.
The lawsuit alleges that after our client reported this to the Board of Education, the district then wrongly placed her on administrative leave in violation of the terms of her contract and without providing her any explanation.
The lawsuit also claims that during our client’s improper administrative leave, the school district terminated seven senior members of the school district administration with no notice.
The lawsuit goes on to state:
“Defendant SLPS’s action in terminating members of Plaintiff Scarlett’s administration was intended to signal to potential witnesses that anyone supporting Plaintiff Scarlett could lose their job.”
According to the lawsuit, a former vice president for the SLPS Board of Education defamed our client by alleged she set salaries for administration employees at higher rates than she should have and without consulting the BOE.
The lawsuit states:
“Plaintiff Scarlett had numerous communications with the Board regarding salaries for the school administration during her employment and kept them informed of each action she took related to setting any salaries.”
On September 24, 2024, the district notified our client that it intended to terminate her employment “for cause”.
The lawsuit states that a hearing was then scheduled for October 14, 2024. But, according to the lawsuit, our client was also barred from accessing any of her school-issued devices or entering any school district buildings once she was placed on leave, thus making it impossible for her to access documents necessary to defend herself against accusations in the hearing.
That same day, the school district notified our client that her employment was terminated. The lawsuit alleges the district failed to properly terminate her under any clause of her contract.
The lawsuit seeks judgment for lost wages and benefits, diminished current and future earning capacity, reputational damage, emotional distress, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any such other relief this Court deems may be just and proper.
This case is ongoing.
You can read the lawsuit here.
For more information, contact attorney Nicole Matlock at nmatlock@kennedyhuntlaw.com. If you or someone you know has had their employment rights violated, our skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim.