Independence School District faces third discrimination lawsuit in less than a month
A former special education teacher is the third Independence School District employee to sue the district for discrimination in the past month.
In the latest lawsuit, filed May 27, Rodney McConico, who is Black, alleges he faced racial discrimination and was retaliated against for reporting harassment.
He began working for the district as a substitute teacher in August 2017 and started full time as a special education teacher in June 2018, Jackson County court documents said.
On Jan. 9 2019, McConico told another teacher that his students were uncomfortable reciting the “N-word” in literature. He said the teacher replied by saying that’s just how people talked and referred to the literature as a classic, the lawsuit said.
He was also allegedly subjected to racial slurs and harassment from students.
According to the lawsuit, several false allegations were made against McConico, including accusations he made inappropriate statements in class, called students “gay,” and inappropriately hugged another teacher.
“Every time Mr. McConico was accused of misconduct or wrongdoing and was subjected to any type of discipline or was placed under investigation, he expressed his belief that he was being targeted and retaliated against for making complaints and allegations due to his race, age, and sex,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit alleges McConico’s supervisor would “nitpick” and that he was disciplined for similar if not identical conduct as his colleagues.
In February 2020, he was informed his contract would not be renewed.
Megan Murphy, a spokeswoman for Independence schools, said the district intends to defend itself against the allegations, which they believe have no merit.
A court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26.
Other lawsuits
McConico joins two other educators who filed separate lawsuits last month.
In a prior statement, Murphy said those two lawsuits had no merit.
Breanne Jeffries filed a federal lawsuit against the school district May 16.
She started as a teacher at Cassell Park Elementary School in July 2019.
Jeffries said an administrator referred to women as birds on a number of occasions. Before the 2019-2020 school year began, he told Jeffries that “Women are often ducks ... quacking and pooping.”
He also commented on the appearances of young female staff members, documents said. During a one-on-one meeting with a teacher he said a female co-worker had a “Beautiful heart, beautiful mind and beautiful body.”
The lawsuit accused the administrator of referring to one woman as “a bitch” and repeatedly saying men should have control over their women, documents said.
The petition also alleges the administrator refused to show parts of a video in school because it featured a Pride flag, while knowing Jeffries identified as a part of the LGBTQ community.
In February 2021, nine teachers accused the administrator of inappropriate behavior. A Title IX coordinator found the accusations unsubstantiated. According to court documents, administrator retaliated against teachers like Jeffries by withholding assistance whenever teachers came to him with an issue, documents said.
Shortly after, he was promoted to assistant principal, court records said.
A court hearing in the lawsuit is scheduled for Aug. 15.
Sierra Dinges filed a lawsuit against the Independence School District on May 11.
She was also a teacher at Cassell Park beginning in 2019.
Her lawsuit alleges that same administrator treated Dinges and other members of the female staff as less than their male counterparts.
The administrator repeatedly referred to Dinges as “baby girl,” and his “special friend,” the lawsuit said. Dinges was also called a prostitute by the administrator in the presence of other staff members, court records said.
In November 2019, the administrator invited Dinges to his home while his wife was away to watch “Stranger Things” on Netflix and drink wine. He said Dinges would be a “good catch,” documents said.
Dinges was one of the nine teachers who reported the administrator to a Title IX coordinator. After the accusations were considered unsubstantiated, Dinges was demoted and received a pay cut, documents said.
In January, Dinges became pregnant. She alleges that the district did not accommodate her which caused emotional distress.
A court hearing in the discrimination lawsuit is scheduled for Sept. 9.
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 11:37 AM.
