WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — A white teacher says she was punished for reporting harassment from her Black "mentor" and is suing the Florida school district that fired her.
Kathleen Madaras filed a complaint https://s3.amazonaws.com/jnswire/jns-media/f8/65/13704881/lnlMADARASvSCHOOL.pdf Oct. 4 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court against the School Board of Palm Beach County alleging civil rights violations and other claims.
Madaras, a white female, was hired for a first-year teaching position at an alternative school for delinquents in December of 2021, according to her complaint. She alleges that her assigned mentor and acting assistant principal Ms. Hammond a Black female, did not provide her with mentorship support because of her race.
Madaras also alleges in her complaint that she was harassed and bullied by Hammond and that the majority of the teachers and administration at the school, who were Black, ignored her repeated complaints about the discrimination. She claims that on April 25, 2022, she filed an Employee Bullying and Harassment Report and that three days later, she was terminated without explanation.
Madaras seeks monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. She is represented by Isidro Garcia of The Garcia Law Firm PA in West Palm Beach.
Palm Beach County Circuit Court case number 183261022