The Abridged version:
- Jeanine Rupert, a former sixth grade teacher at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School, is suing Sacramento City Unified, saying she was unfairly punished for removing dilapidated carpet from her classroom.
- Rupert’s attorney has said previously she is seeking $2.3 million in damages, but that a final amount would be decided by a jury.
- The recent lawsuit names the school district, school board and administrators, including the former and interim superintendents.
Jeanine Rupert, a former teacher at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School who became the center of controversy after students helped her strip carpet from her classroom last year, is suing the Sacramento City Unified School District.
The sixth-grade educator previously filed an administrative claim seeking $2.3 million from the cash-strapped district. The district’s rejection of the claim opened the door for the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed Friday by her lawyer James Jones, does not specify an amount but does call for damages including lost wages, emotional distress and attorney’s fees. Rupert’s complaints against Sacramento City Unified include discrimination based on race and gender.
“The bureaucratic administrators dug in their heels … and a fine teacher was burned at the
stake like a Salem witch,” her lawsuit reads.
Any amount awarded will ultimately be up to a jury to decide.
The district is reviewing the complaint with its legal counsel and cannot comment on specific allegations in ongoing litigation, according to Sacramento City Unified spokesperson Al Goldberg.
“Sacramento City Unified School District remains committed to maintaining safe, supportive learning environments for students and respectful workplaces for staff,” Goldberg said in a statement. “We will respond to the complaint through the appropriate legal process.”
‘Carpet-gate’ angered parents
Rupert opted to pull up the aged and stained carpet flooring once years of work requests and other appeals to the district had gone unanswered, according to the lawsuit.
The district, in HR documents, has accused Rupert of causing over $20,000 in damage. More than half of that amount went towards asbestos testing, a step Rupert’s lawyer argues was unnecessary and used to justify her “outrageous” consequences.
Rupert was transferred to another school in the district and, according to the legal filing, she was told not to be on district property or associate with district employees.
Sacramento City Unified officials also took issue with the involvement of Rupert’s students in the carpet removal.
At least three students used “hammers and a crowbar(s)” to help their teacher pull up the worn flooring, according to district documents.
“Your negligence and total disregard for the safety and well being of the students and staff of Phoebe Hearst Elementary, has had a direct negative impact on the community,” an HR notice from August read.
Rupert’s attorney pushed back, writing students volunteered to help, with tools that the kids had already used in other projects around the school, such as trimming brushes and building picnic tables.
Complaints of discrimination
Rupert’s lawsuit names the school district, school board and specific current or previous administrators, including former Superintendent Lisa Allen and interim Superintendent Cancy McArn.
Among her complaints is that the district treated her unfairly based on her gender.
Two male teachers had taken the step to remove carpet in their classroom, before Rupert’s action, according to the suit. Her colleagues did not face similar discipline. The document does not specify whether the district was aware of the other teachers’ earlier actions.
Parents of Rupert’s former students flooded school board meetings last fall, demanding her return. Trustees have said repeatedly the issue falls outside their direct jurisdiction.
Jones, Rupert’s lawyer, told Abridged a discrimination lawsuit like this could take at least 14 to 18 months, if it goes to trial. A settlement could occur at any point before then.
“At this point,” he said, “it’s in the hands of the judicial system.”
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.