A former teacher has filed a lawsuit against the Cobb County School District, accusing officials of discrimination based on her disabilities.
Jennifer Williams, formerly a first grade teacher at Frey Elementary in Acworth, said the school’s principal singled her out for “criticism and ridicule,” had her removed from campus and held her to different standards than her peers, court documents show.
Williams has avoidant personality disorder, bipolar disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to the lawsuit filed this month in federal court in Atlanta.
The district does not comment on pending litigation, a spokeswoman said.
The suit alleges that during the 2019-2020 school year, Principal William Dryden told Williams to leave the profession if she didn’t like it, complained about ungraded papers sitting on her desk and dismissed her concern that he was singling her out.
In speaking with an assistant principal about Dryden’s behavior, Williams expressed feelings of depression related to her medical diagnoses, the suit states.
Dryden contacted authorities to have her removed from the premises after being informed of those statements, according to the lawsuit. He claimed he was concerned she was a threat to herself, but Williams said she did not make any comments regarding suicidal ideation.
Williams was not able to return to work until she was cleared by a medical professional. Shortly after that she was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation related to her grading methods and use of data. Williams said she was unaware of district-mandated methods, but any performance issues were related to her disabilities.
Williams said she later requested a transfer to another school, but the request was denied. At the end of the year, her contract was not renewed. Williams had been working in the district since 2013.
The suit accuses the district of failing to accommodate for her disabilities, terminating her for reasons related to her disability and retaliating against her for seeking accommodations.
The situation isn’t uncommon for employees of all types, said Kirby Smith, an attorney at the employment law firm representing Williams.
“It’s a situation where the facts really seem to indicate leadership at the school having an issue with Ms. Williams’ medical condition, and taking steps thereafter to build up a laundry list of reasons to terminate her,” Smith said. “I think it’s a situation that a lot of employees can fall into.”
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