Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tennessee.Bradley Central High School officials exhibited "juvenile and locker room behavior" in the the handling of a sexual harassment claim against band director Kris Ware, a federal judge said.
The Bradley County Board of Education has settled a lawsuit filed by the school's former assistant band director, Angela Delozier, after the school board met in a closed executive session Thursday night.
Delozier claimed sex discrimination, hostile work environment and retaliation after her contract with the school was not renewed in 2012.
Delozier's complaint alleged that Ware, her former boss, degraded and sexually harassed her in front of students. Among other complaints, Delozier said Ware asked her about flowers sent by a suitor and insinuated she sent them to herself. He called her "bipolar," she said, and told students it must be her "time of the month."
But her federal complaint, which named the Bradley County Board of Education and Director of Schools Johnny McDaniel, focused on what came next.
Delozier confronted Ware in March 2012, according to the complaint, and asked him to stop. Ware told his boss, Principal Todd Shoemaker, about her complaints. When Delozier sought a meeting with the school district to discuss Ware's actions, Shoemaker told her that her contract would not be renewed for another year.
In response to the complaint, Shoemaker said he thought Delozier's relationship with Ware had deteriorated and that she "no longer wished to be at Bradley Central High School" because he could not find her when he sought meetings.
U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier noted in his order that before her firing, Delozier's performance reviews had been positive. Delozier begged to be allowed to continue, but was told she was being let go because of her complaint against her boss, her lawsuit stated.
Delozier said she tried to look for other jobs in the school district, but that emails from the principal and secondary supervisor of education assured she wouldn't be hired.
It's the second time this year the Bradley school board has been accused of improper firing practices. In June, a judge ordered the board to rehire Hopewell Elementary teacher Susan Elliott and provide her with back pay after she appealed her firing. Elliott was dismissed after she was arrested on a domestic assault charge filed by her former boyfriend.
Though the boyfriend later recanted and the charges were dropped, McDaniel ordered teacher interviews that brought Elliott's job performance into question. Like Delozier's, Elliott's performance reviews until that point had been positive. A judge ruled that the reasons given for her dismissal were flawed and manufactured, and she was rehired.
In Collier's order filed last week, he dismissed specific claims against McDaniel and Delozier's claim that her First Amendment rights were violated. But he ruled her claims of violation of the Tennessee Human Rights Act and of sex discrimination, hostile work environment and retaliation had merit.
The details of Delozier's settlement weren't clear Friday. Her attorney, Donna J. Mikel, said she could not comment. The Bradley County Board of Education's attorney, Scott Bennett, did not return calls for comment.
Contact staff writer Claire Wiseman at cwiseman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6347.