A gay former West Covina Unified School District principal has reached a tentative settlement in her lawsuit against the district, in which she claimed she was forced to resign in 2022 due to sexual orientation and gender discrimination, as well as harassment.
Candace Leuthold, the former principal, also alleged that she was paid less than a male colleague who had the same responsibilities. Recently, her attorney filed court documents stating that a “conditional” settlement has been reached and a request for dismissal will be filed by December 31. The specific terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
In response to Leuthold’s allegations, attorneys representing WCUSD argued that her claims were time-barred by the statute of limitations.
Leuthold, who is now 49, was hired as the principal of Mt. SAC Early College Academy in September 2017, according to the lawsuit. In 2018, Assistant Superintendent of Education Services, Denise Knutsen, allegedly instructed Leuthold to wear a suit or a skirt, while men in similar positions were not given the same requirement.
The suit further claimed that Knutsen asked Leuthold to work with Lisa Maggiore, a woman who also identified as gay, to change her appearance. Knutsen allegedly stated that she couldn’t distinguish whether Maggiore was a custodian or an assistant principal based on her attire.
However, Leuthold’s supervision of Maggiore was terminated when she disclosed to Knutsen and another administrator that they were living together, as mentioned in the lawsuit.
According to the suit, a male colleague who had the same job as Knutsen was paid more than Leuthold. When Leuthold inquired about the pay disparity, then-Superintendent Charles Hinman did not provide an explanation.
In addition, when Leuthold proposed two classes for the spring 2022 semester – Introduction to Sex and Gender Roles, and Introduction to LGBTQ Studies – Knutsen rejected both ideas and insinuated that Leuthold had an agenda due to her sexual orientation.
In December 2021, Leuthold was informed that she was being reassigned to the district office following an investigation into an anonymous complaint about her relationship with her same-sex co-worker and its alleged impact on her leadership at Mt. SAC Early College Academy. The suit stated that the investigation also contained allegations of her incompetence as a leader and claims that she had retaliated against staff who complained about the school’s administration.
In April 2022, Leuthold was instructed not to communicate with Maggiore during school hours under the threat of discipline. Two months later, she was reassigned to an elementary school as a physical education teacher, despite having no prior experience in teaching at that level or in physical education, according to the lawsuit. Additionally, her pay was reduced by 30%.
Due to the alleged discrimination, harassment, and retaliation she faced, Leuthold decided to resign from WCUSD in July 2022. The lawsuit also highlighted the financial impact and profound emotional distress she has endured as a result of these events.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
