A New York woman who was fired from her job as a middle school teacher after a topless photo of her surfaced has filed a sex discrimination lawsuit against the school district that employed her. The Long Island math teacher claims her career was ruined after a student found a topless photo she had sent to a man she was seeing years before.
After the school district took possession of the photo, the woman was placed on temporary administrative leave before being terminated. She was told she was being fired because she was not a good role model for students.
The former teacher argues that the treatment she received because her breasts were exposed would never happen to a man. She is suing for three million dollars in damages for a tarnished reputation and ruined career.
Fired for a Suggestive Selfie
In an interview with ABC News, the woman described her shock when a colleague told her a private topless photo she had sent to an ex-boyfriend three years before was being passed around among her students. A week after learning her selfie was public, she was placed on home assignment and told not to discuss the matter with anyone, especially her coworkers. To this day, she has no idea how the student found the photo.
The woman’s employer conducted an internal investigation and determined she “did nothing wrong or illegal.” Yet, she was soon let go after the Board of Education voted to terminate her. During her employment, she received outstanding reviews and was on track to earn tenure at the end of this school year.
The former teacher says she is fighting for all girls, including her own students, who have endured the humiliation of having personal photos shared with their peers. She says she wants to be a role model for other girls who may be victims of similar violations.
Gender Discrimination and the Law
It is illegal to treat someone differently or less favorably on the basis of their sex or affiliation with a gender-based group or organization. Sex discrimination and harassment can be as obvious as unwelcome physical advances or requests for sexual favors, or as subtle as insinuating you will advance in the company if you engage in sexual activities with a superior.
In the teacher’s case, she alleges that if a male counterpart sent a similar photo to a coworker, he would not receive the same treatment.
If you believe you may be a victim of workplace discrimination, you do not have to tolerate it any longer. Sexual harassment and gender discrimination are violations of your civil rights. Enlist the skilled counsel of a Red Bank gender discrimination lawyer as you report the behavior and file a claim for damages against the employer who failed to stop the harassment.
Red Bank Gender Discrimination Lawyers at McOmber McComber & Luber, P.C. Fight Workplace Harassment
Victims of sex discrimination should never be afraid to speak out. Yet many stay quiet and endure a hostile work environment because they fear retaliation. The skilled Red Bank gender discrimination lawyers at McOmber McOmber & Luber, P.C. protect workers’ rights to fair treatment in the workplace.
Please call our Red Bank office at 732-842-6500, our Marlton office at 856-985-9800, our Newark office at 973-878-9040, or contact us at 888-396-0736 or online for a free consultation. We represent clients throughout New Jersey.