A former Los Angeles Unified school psychologist's lawsuit against the district, in which she alleges she resigned in 2021 in frustration regarding racism and minority students being unjustly placed into special education programs, should be partially or wholly dismissed, the district maintains in new court papers.
In her Los Angeles Superior Court complaint, Michelle Morales, who is Black and Latino, alleges racial and disability discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation and failure to accommodate and engage in the interactive process.
But in court papers filed Nov. 22 by an LAUSD attorney, all or Morales' allegations are disputed.
"The district engaged in multiple interactive processes with plaintiff and granted her multiple requests for reasonable accommodations," the LAUSD court papers state. "Each decision concerning plaintiff was based upon non-discriminatory business reasons. Further, any purported discriminatory conduct was not severe or pervasive."
Morales was hired in August 2016 and her first job was at Hart Street Elementary School, the suit states.
"From the start of her employment ... Morales encountered illegal and racist conduct from school administrators," the suit alleges.
At Hart Street School, Morales received unusually long lists of Black and Latino students referred by their teachers for special education due to alleged behavioral and academic struggles in the classroom, the suit states. Morales later learned that school administrators were singling out minority students who, if they in any way acted in a manner in the classroom that left the administration unhappy, were moved into special education, according to the suit.
"Morales felt deeply disturbed by this practice," the suit states.
Morales contacted her supervisor about her concerns and the plaintiff was eventually transferred to Gledhill Street Elementary School in late 2017, the suit states. At Gledhill, the principal, a white woman, confided in Morales that she "really hated it when Mexican parents think they can come to the district and get whatever they want, they act entitled," the suit states.
"Morales was shocked and told (the principal) that she was Hispanic and was offended by this racist comment," according to the suit, which further states that despite Morales' numerous complaints, the principal continued to make racially insensitive comments, including her lament that her son was "hanging out with Black ghetto kids and was acting like them."
But Morales' account regarding the Gledhill principal is challenged by the LAUSD in its court papers, which state that the principal did not make any derogatory comments to Morales regarding her race or about Mexican and Black families. The same court papers also state that Morales admitted to an internal Equal Opportunity Section investigator that she did not have any documentary evidence to support her claims against the principal.
Morales was often invited to the principal's birthday parties or other celebratory luncheons and events and she told her supervisors that she wanted to remain at Gledhill for another academic year because she enjoyed it there, according to the LAUSD's court papers.
Morales was subsequently assigned to Langdon Elementary School in August 2018 and on her first day there, she overheard an assistant principal yell at a Latina worker, then turn to the plaintiff and say, "See how I dealt with that employee? Don't mess with me or that's how I am going to deal with you," the suit states.
In the spring of 2019, after struggling for three years with the alleged racism and unethical behavior in the workplace, Morales was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, the suit filed in December 2022 states.
In mid-March 2020, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Morales began working remotely along with the rest of the staff, according to the suit, which further states that in a performance review, Morales was told she was "not a team player" and was not communicating well with others.
"Morales was taken aback by this reprimand, strongly suspecting that she was being retaliated against for raising legitimate issues about the discriminatory conduct of school administrators," the suit states.
On Dec. 7, 2021, no longer able to endure the hostile work environment, Morales submitted her resignation letter, outlining the issues she had dealt with regarding discrimination, mistreatment and misplacement of Black and Latino students, the impact on her mental health and the administration's alleged lack of racial awareness and cultural competency, the suit states.
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