A high-ranking education official is facing serious allegations of racial discrimination and retaliation in a federal lawsuit. On August 12, 2024, Heather Jansen filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the City of New York, the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), Chancellor David C. Banks, and Superintendent Marion Wilson.
Heather Jansen's lawsuit alleges that she faced racial discrimination and retaliation during her tenure as an Interim Acting Elementary School Principal at P.S. 46 in Staten Island. According to the complaint, Jansen was subjected to a hostile work environment and unfair treatment due to her race and ethnicity. She claims that her superiors, including Superintendent Marion Wilson, pressured her to diversify the staff based on perceived racism among existing personnel. When Jansen attempted to address these concerns through formal complaints and grievances, she alleges that she faced unwarranted disciplinary actions, demotions, and pay cuts.
The lawsuit outlines several instances where Jansen believes she was targeted because of her race. For example, after being promoted to Principal in March 2022, an anonymous email accused her of calling staff members "racist" during a meeting. This led to an investigation by the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), which ultimately found no wrongdoing on Jansen's part. Despite this, Jansen claims that Wilson continued to harass her by scheduling unannounced performance observations and issuing negative evaluations based on outdated or unfounded complaints.
Jansen also alleges that Chancellor David C. Banks implemented policies aimed at hiring only people of color for principal positions within the NYCDOE. She argues that these policies were discriminatory and contributed to her demotion from Principal back to Teacher. Furthermore, Jansen contends that Wilson attempted to cover up incidents involving other staff members' misconduct while targeting her for minor infractions.
The plaintiff seeks economic damages for lost wages and benefits, non-economic damages for emotional distress and humiliation, punitive damages for malicious conduct by the defendants, and attorneys' fees. She also requests reinstatement to her former position as Principal or another equivalent role within the NYCDOE.
Representing Heather Jansen are attorneys from Shegerian & Associates. Case ID 1:24-cv-05638.