TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Dr. Carnell Smith, principal of Scott High School, has been accused of sexual harassment by a teacher who recently filed a lawsuit against Dr. Smith and the Toronto City School District Board of Education. Toledo.

According to court documents, a former Scott High School teacher accused Dr. Smith of sexually harassing her from August 2017 to April 2023. The teacher was hired by the district in 2004 and worked at Scott High School until the end of the 2022-2023 term. . school year. For the 2023-2024 school year, plaintiff transferred to the TPS Virtual Academy.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff claims that the harassment began around August 17, 2017, when Dr. Smith took a photo of his feet/legs, sent him the photo, and told him, “Have a wonderful school year! “.

Plaintiff claims that Dr. Smith continued to make her feel uncomfortable by commenting on her appearance and visiting her classroom more than necessary. It claims that during the 2022-2023 school year, the principal’s comments became more extreme and frequent.

According to the lawsuit, Dr. Smith and the plaintiff argued in March 2023 following an email sent by the plaintiff. Dr. Smith then allegedly yelled at her in front of other employees, prompting her to email her union representative.

Shortly after contacting the union representative, the plaintiff spoke with TPS’s interim superintendent of human resources about the incident. The plaintiff also provided examples of occasions when Dr. Smith had sexually harassed her.

On April 13, 2023, the plaintiff filed a formal complaint against Dr. Smith detailing some of the sexual harassment. Examples provided in the document include Dr. Smith saying that she “should wear more skirts” or “wear a dress and heels,” among other things.

She also stated in the formal complaint that he had made comments to another teacher speculating about her sexual activities/sexual history.

During the investigation of the formal complaint, Dr. Smith was allowed to continue working as a director. The plaintiff claims that she was forced to continue working with him during the investigation even though she stated that she did not feel comfortable working for him.

After the school year, he inquired about the possibility of transferring to another school.

According to the lawsuit, the investigation was turned over to a third-party decision maker to make a decision. After reviewing the investigation report, the decision-maker concluded that she had been sexually harassed during the 2022-2023 school year and that Dr. Smith had violated board policy.

After the decision, he attempted to return to Scott High School assuming that Dr. Smith would no longer be there. However, Dr. Smith was not placed on administrative leave or disciplined and would also return for the 2023-2024 school year.

Because Dr. Smith was not removed, she decided she would not return and was transferred to the TPS Virtual Academy.

In November 2023, the plaintiff was notified of the board’s decision on discipline and became outraged, stating that the board “failed to seriously pursue its case against Director Smith and requested that only minor discipline be imposed against Director Smith.”

According to the lawsuit, the board recommended that Dr. Smith participate in the TPS Adult Social-Emotional Learning Program and nothing else.

The plaintiff claims in the lawsuit that she makes less money at the virtual academy than she did when she worked at Scott High School.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff requests that the court award her equitable relief as compensation for her transfer of employment, compensation for loss of opportunity for gainful employment, for future earnings, for humiliation, embarrassment and loss of reputation. It also requests back pay with interest, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.

A spokesperson for Toledo Public Schools issued the following statement regarding the lawsuit:

“Toledo Public Schools cannot comment further on matters that are involved in ongoing legal proceedings. However, it is important to note that in the case of (the plaintiff) and Dr. Smith, the district collaborated closely with its legal counsel and hired two independent investigators to ensure a complete and impartial result. “The district is confident in the fairness and accuracy of the process.”

The full 15-page lawsuit can be viewed below.

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