News Summary
A former instructional coach has filed a lawsuit against Kansas City Public Schools and principal Luis Hinojosa, alleging age discrimination and retaliation. Jeannette Ashby-Welter, who claims her termination was due to complaints about age bias, filed the suit after receiving no communication regarding her contract renewal. The lawsuit raises concerns about age discrimination in the school district, highlighting broader issues of employee treatment based on age. Ashby-Welter is seeking damages for emotional distress as a result of the alleged discrimination.
Kansas City – A lawsuit has been filed against the Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) and the principal of Pitcher Elementary School, Luis Hinojosa, by a former employee alleging age discrimination and retaliation. Jeannette Ashby-Welter, aged 68, claims her termination from her role as an instructional coach was a direct result of her complaints about age discrimination within the school district.
The lawsuit was submitted in the Jackson County Circuit Court on May 13, 2023, by the Missouri Commission on Human Rights on behalf of Ashby-Welter. The case centers on Ashby-Welter’s formal complaint lodged with KCPS Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier along with HR directors Jordan Gordon and Dana Risch on May 29, 2023. She was dismissed from her position the very next day.
The principal, Hinojosa, was appointed to his position at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. Within the lawsuit, Ashby-Welter alleges that Hinojosa has a troubling history, including previous removals from two other principal roles due to misconduct, which involved inappropriate behavior toward younger female employees.
Further allegations against Hinojosa suggest he engaged in demeaning talk about older teachers and expressed a desire to replace them with younger staff. Evidence presented in the lawsuit states that Hinojosa commented on hiring preferences, explicitly mentioning a desire for “the young blonde” rather than a 72-year-old teacher.
The situation at Pitcher Elementary appears to highlight a broader trend within KCPS, as the lawsuit points out that by the end of the 2022-2023 school year, eight employees over the age of 50 had been terminated, with seven others leaving or not having their contracts renewed. The following school year saw five additional employees over 50 dismissed.
Ashby-Welter entered her role with 37 years of teaching experience and was tasked with training younger colleagues beginning in January 2023. Under district policy, KCPS is required to inform employees about contract renewals by April 15 each year; however, Ashby-Welter claims she received no such communication and missed out on contract renewal notifications.
On April 23, 2023, shortly before her dismissal, she filed a detailed complaint of age discrimination with Hinojosa, expressing concerns about the hiring of younger and less qualified teachers in her absence from the staff list for the upcoming school year. Following her termination, she applied for multiple positions within the district but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Ashby-Welter’s lawsuit seeks compensation for age discrimination and retaliation, including damages for emotional distress attributed to Hinojosa’s actions. In response to the allegations put forth, KCPS Public Relations Coordinator Shain Bergan stated that the organization does not comment on ongoing litigation but did contest certain claims made in the lawsuit. Specifically, it was mentioned that Ashby-Welter had the opportunity to accept a full-time teacher contract but declined the option.
This lawsuit makes significant assertions regarding workplace treatment based on age and raises questions about employee rights within educational institutions. The outcome will not only affect Ashby-Welter’s future but might set important precedents for age-related workplace policies within the Kansas City Public Schools.
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Additional Resources
- Kansas City Article 1
- Wikipedia: Age Discrimination
- AOL News Article
- Google Search: Age Discrimination Lawsuit
- Kansas City Defender Article
- Google Scholar: Age Discrimination in Education
- Fox 4 KC Article
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Discrimination Laws
- KSHB News Article
- Google News: Discrimination Lawsuit Kansas City
