When it comes to wrongful termination lawsuits, there are always two sides of the story. Even when somebody feels they have been wrongfully terminated from their position, it is safe to assume that their employer does not.
Our Indiana readers will find this story out of Chicago quite interesting, as it involves the dismissal of a teacher at a Catholic high school. The woman is in the process of suing the school, claiming she was fired as the result of reporting an alleged sexual assault amongst students.
The woman claims she was wrongfully terminated from her position at Hales Franciscan High School less than one month after a female student approached her about being assaulted by a male student. After the student confided in the teacher, she contacted the state’s Department of Child and Family Services, which is something the school failed to do on its own.
Four days later, the woman was called into a meeting with the school president and principal, during which they wanted to learn more about the details of the conversation she had with the student who came to her.
The lawsuit claims that during the meeting, the principal said she “had no right to either have any conversation with the student or to contact DCFS.”
The teacher was fired on November 18, 2013, and according to her lawsuit this is a violation of the Illinois Whistleblower Act.
Teachers are mandated reporters when it comes to allegations of abuse to the Department of Child and Family Services. Without such individuals to protect our children, many instances of abuse may never be reported. Employment law attorneys can help those employees who have been wrongfully dismissed seek reinstatement, as well as compensation for lost wages and other claims.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times, “Suit: Teacher at Hales Franciscan fired for reporting abuse allegations” Ashlee Rezin, Dec. 12, 2013