Seattle Public Schools sued over alleged bullying, retaliation in food services department

 From KIRO-TV:

Two longtime Seattle Public Schools employees have filed a lawsuit claiming they were forced out of their jobs after repeated retaliation and harassment by the district’s director of culinary services, according to a complaint filed in King County Superior Court.

The suit, filed Tuesday, names the district and Aaron Smith, the Culinary Services director, as defendants. 

Plaintiffs Emme Ribeiro Collins, the district’s executive chef from 2019 to 2023, and Helen Jones, operations manager in culinary services from 1998 to 2023, allege that Smith targeted them after they raised concerns about his behavior and management practices.

Collins says she filed a formal retaliation claim in November 2022, but continued to face hostility until she resigned in May 2023. 

An internal HR report completed more than a year later corroborated elements of her complaints, the lawsuit states.

Jones filed her own retaliation claim in December 2022 after securing an ADA accommodation to work from home part-time. 

She alleges Smith altered her work schedule in ways that undermined that agreement and gave her a negative performance plan after she returned from medical leave. 

She resigned in May 2023, citing a hostile environment.

The plaintiffs accuse Seattle Public Schools of failing to protect them from retaliation, harassment, and discrimination. 

The complaint lists nine causes of action, including retaliation under Title VII, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Washington Family Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Washington Law Against Discrimination. 

The lawsuit also includes claims of negligent supervision, negligent retention, and constructive discharge. 

How can these things happen over and over? Oh wait, I know. SPS doesn't hire real HR professionals to head that office and hasn't for decades. 

It sounds like these two women went through the right channels about their concerns about the head of Food Services and nothing changed. How Collins complaints - complete with an internal HR report that verified them - seemingly got ignored is just puzzling. 

I'd bet these two women just wanted to do their jobs. I'd also bet they don't want a long, dragged out process and so they will take a settlement. 

But what will change internally? Probably very little. 

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