TAMPA, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — A Florida charter school teacher alleges she suffered sexual harassment from her students.
Audra Young filed a complaint April 6 in Hillsborough County Circuit Court against Slam Florida Inc., alleging sexual discrimination, retaliation and other claims.
According to her complaint, Young, a female educator, was hired by Slam, a sports-related curriculum charter school as a teacher of sports marketing and sports broadcasting at its Apollo Beach location in March of 2022. She claims she suffered discrimination, sexual harassment and was mistreated by her students.
Specifically, she claims students made degrading, vulgar comments and movements about lewd sexual acts during her lessons. Young alleges she immediately notified the principal about the "inappropriate and gross behavior of the children." The principal spent a day observing the class and also suffered a "wave of abuse" which brought the principal to tears, the suit says, adding the principal had to be "whisked" out of the room.
Young claims the behavior by the students was "a rampant and regular occurrence" also experienced by other teachers with the school failing to take action. She received a right to sue from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January of 2023, and alleges she was forced to resign due to the hostile work environment.
Young seeks monetary relief of more than $50,000, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. She is represented by Peter Ticktin and Ryan Fojo of The Ticktin Law Group in Orlando.