Exactly one year ago today (July 27, 2022)… A Black former teacher in the Bassett Unified School District has been awarded nearly $25 million by a jury. He claimed that he was fired in 2019 as an act of retaliation for previously filing a discrimination lawsuit and speaking out about sexual misconduct by a custodian in the district.
In a ruling made on Friday, the Los Angeles Superior Court panel declared that Michael Ross was indeed a victim of retaliation and failure to prevent retaliation. Out of the $24.8 million in damages, $22 million was specifically allotted to compensate him for emotional distress suffered in the past and anticipated in the future.
The school district had argued that Ross was terminated for legitimate reasons. Lawyers representing the BUSD stated in their court documents that Ross had left early without permission on the last day of summer school in July 2017, showing no concern for the well-being of his students.
“The safety of students is an utmost responsibility for any teacher,” argued the district’s lawyers in their court papers.
In his original lawsuit, Ross claimed that he was hired by the BUSD in 1994 and held teaching positions at various schools in the San Gabriel Valley, including Bassett High School and Torch Middle School.
The initial lawsuit also stated that despite complaints made by Ross, students at Torch School regularly used racial slurs, including the “N-word,” without facing any disciplinary actions. Ross also received a written reprimand for contacting the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department instead of the district’s own security personnel to report a student who had threatened violence against him. This initial lawsuit was filed in May 2016 and settled a year later.
In July 2017, Michael Barry, a custodian in the BUSD, was arrested and charged with multiple acts of sexual misconduct involving several students at Torch School. One of the alleged victims had informed Ross about feeling uncomfortable around the janitor, as stated in the second lawsuit. Ross reported the girl’s concerns to the Torch School assistant principal, which took place in June 2019.
As per the second lawsuit, after Ross discussed Barry with the Torch School principal in August 2017, the district allegedly retaliated by suspending him from duty. Finally, after 15 months of being barred from returning, Ross received a notice of charges and a proposed recommendation of termination in January 2019, leading to his ultimate dismissal.
According to the second lawsuit, Ross attended a hearing alongside his legal representative, where he presented a written brief and oral argument that effectively counteracted and disproved several baseless allegations made by the BUSD. However, despite his efforts, he was still fired in January 2019.
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