School Discrimination Lawsuit in Virginia Proceeds

At Bailey’s Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia three educators are alleging racial and gender discrimination against their principal.

According to the Washington Post, “Filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, the lawsuit claims that Rachel Charlton, Yolanda Calhoun and Shyrone Stith faced racial and gender discrimination while working with Principal Marie Lemmon, who joined Bailey’s in 2012. Charlton alleges that Lemmon discriminated against her during and after her pregnancy — insulting her for breast-feeding, forcing her to work while on bed rest and limiting her opportunities — and Calhoun and Stith say that the principal treated them unfairly because they are black.

“Bailey’s, located near Falls Church, is the county’s largest elementary. Many of its nearly 1,400 students qualify for training in English as a second language and free or reduced-price meals, a measure of poverty. It receives federal Title I funding because of its high poverty rate.”