A Massachusetts Suffolk Superior Court jury found that school officials in Boston retaliated against a teacher for exercising his legal right to raise concerns about workplace discrimination without fear of retribution, awarding him $1.7 million.
The Boston Globe reported that Charles Sherman Neal was the only Black male teacher at the Boston Community Leadership Academy, where he was working to start a gym program. He repeatedly raised concerns about being discriminated against, including in complaints with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. School district leaders fired him in 2016 despite positive work reviews.
After five years of legal wrangling, a jury found that the headmaster and other school officials retaliated against him. The jury, however, did not agree with his discrimination claims.
Hired to start a gym program, Neal was the only Black male teacher on staff. He began working at the school in a part-time capacity starting in 2008 and was brought on full-time in 2012. But Neal alleged disparities persisted in the way he was treated as compared to his white colleagues.
While addressing these issues has never been easy, cases like this one prove it is essential to have a clear understanding of equity, racism, discrimination, and other forms of injustice.
If you have been subjected to discrimination at your place of employment, contact the Law Offices of Renee Lazar at 978-844-4095 to schedule a FREE one hour case evaluation.
boston.cbslocal .com