Occasionally, we share claims experienced by charter schools in hopes that they don’t experience the same claim.

A female employee who had been with ABC Charter School for two years exhibited a sudden drop-off in her work performance. Her supervisor set up a meeting with her to discuss her performance, but she failed to show up. She did show up for a rescheduled meeting, but she had alcohol on her breath.

She complained during the meeting that she faced continuous sexual harassment from an administrator and that his unwanted advances had created a hostile work environment. Her supervisor suggested she take another position in the school at a different location, which the woman agreed to do.

However, she failed to show up for work at the new location and skipped several more meetings with her supervisor. The school terminated the employee, and she filed a lawsuit, alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination and seeking $1 million in damages. In her suit, she alleged that an administrator had been sexually obsessed with her for nearly two years, had maintained an uncomfortable closeness with her in the workplace, and had continually harassed her with questions about her personal life.

In subsequent interviews with managers and employees, it was discovered that the female employee and the administrator were engaged in a consensual romantic relationship over two years. Furthermore, witnesses said that the employee was also involved in another love affair at the time, but she and the second lover had broken up when her performance dropped off. The school determined that it would rather settle than go to court. After paying more than $120,000 in defense costs, the school settled with the former employee for $250,000.