Three Lowndes County School District teachers have filed a petition against the school board in chancery court, claiming board members have not adequately dealt with the teachers’ allegations of bullying by district administrators.
The teachers, Melissa Suddith, Norma Sanders and Anne Richardson, claim in the petition they were denied a board decision in February 2019 on complaints of bullying they filed against school administration, and that the board has refused to hear a subsequent bullying complaint filed in November 2019. The three allege they have been victims of a “concerted effort” by former superintendent Lynn Wright and other district administrators to harass and bully them to the point they would either quit their jobs or the administration would build a significant enough file against them to merit non-renewing their contracts.
In the complaint, the teachers claim the board is required, by both state law and district policy, to hear and rule on their complaints, and they are asking the court to instruct the board to do so.
The teachers filed their first grievance after a meeting in December 2018 between Richardson, Sanders, Caledonia High School Principal Andy Stevens and then-Assistant Principal Robert Byrd, according to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint the three teachers also filed. In the meeting, Stevens and Byrd allegedly made inappropriate comments about third parties not present. Suddith was not present for the meeting but was reprimanded twice after the grievance was filed, and all three teachers were later transferred from Caledonia High School to New Hope.
Following an investigation into the teachers’ first grievance, Byrd was forced to resign in February 2019 and Stevens served a weeklong administrative leave without pay, per Wright’s decision. While the school board heard the grievance on Feb. 18 — in which the teachers asked for Stevens’ removal, as well — it took no action.
Suddith filed another bullying complaint on Nov. 4, alleging an administrator at New Hope came to her classroom and criticized her for writing up a student for yelling at her. He also allegedly criticized her for — in response to a student’s question — talking about having drunk wine during holy communion, according to the court documents. All three teachers claim the latest incident is part of a “totality of circumstances” that has created a hostile working environment for them.
Neither the teachers’ attorney, Preston Rideout of Greenwood nor board president Robert Barksdale would comment on the petition when reached by The Dispatch, though Barksdale confirmed the board is aware of the complaint. Board attorney Jeff Smith did not return multiple calls from The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.