A veteran Los Angeles school district employee launched a lawsuit against her boss and the school system, claiming she was the victim of racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, originally reported by 2 Urban Girls.
According to the lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by theGrio, Dr. Darrylzette Jackson is suing the Los Angeles Unified School District and her supervisor, Marc Monforte, the deputy chief procurement officer, alleging that she was discriminated against and passed over for a promotion because she voiced concerns about a toxic work environment.
As the deputy director of material management, Jackson, who is Black, supports the supervision of 350 staff members on issues concerning the district’s acquisition, inventory and distribution of items such as supplies, furniture, food, textbooks and surplus property.
The lawsuit asserts that Monforte was Jackson’s immediate manager for most of the period, engaging in a persistent habit of racist harassment and intimidation against the 23-year employee.
According to the suit, Monforte humiliated Jackson in front of her coworkers, excluded her from important meetings, and denied her access to material. In one instance, Jackson allegedly discovered a magazine from Monforte’s home address in her mailbox that featured a close-up image of a monkey, which the lawsuit calls a calculated and targeted racial insult to intimidate.
“As a Black woman, especially a professional Black woman, the image of a monkey on a magazine that was placed in Dr. Jackson’s mailbox in her office, that boiled something inside of my stomach,” a spokesperson for Jackson told theGrio. “It infuriates me, and it’s just disturbing and disgusting that in 2023, in Los Angeles, such a liberal state, that this is happening to a tenured employee.”
Jackson contended she could not perform her job well due to the hostile work environment, diminishing her professional talents.
Even after raising concerns to Monforte’s boss, Judith Reece, and the Equal Opportunity Section of LAUSD, she said, nothing was done to mitigate the wrongful behavior. Monforte even received a promotion in 2021.
Despite her lengthy career and position as deputy director, the lawsuit claims, the district wrongfully refused Jackson’s appointment to director of material management. Instead, officials chose an underqualified worker from the private sector to fill the position – and Jackson was required to train the new hire.
Attorney Dawn Collins of CollinsKim LLP, representing Jackson, said the district’s records show Jackson was the number one candidate for the position, but officials went out of their way to hire someone less qualified.
She noted that the district still employs her client, who continues to “suffer these indignities daily that affect her emotionally.”
“[Jackson] would’ve hoped that the district would’ve followed its policies to investigate and correct the behavior. It doesn’t appear that that’s happened,” Collins told theGrio. “So she continues to ask for help, that someone address her supervisor … someone would address the harassing conduct and acknowledge the discrimination and the failure to promote her to a position that she was most qualified for.”
On July 10, the Civil Rights Division sent Jackson a letter granting her the legal “right to sue.”
The lawsuit claims Jackson has endured general damages as a direct and immediate result of Monforte’s wrongdoing, including suffering, anguish, fright, nervousness, grief, anxiety, depression, worry, shock, humiliation, physical and personal injuries, and embarrassment.
It contends the damages are so severe and prolonged that no reasonable person in a civilized society should be expected to bear them.
In addition to financial compensation for lost wages, and benefits, Jackson is demanding justice and accountability for the racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation she experienced.
Given her 23 years of commitment to the district, she is hoping for some resolve and support to provide her with a sense of security in her position with the company.
“She’s still there. Despite everything, she’s still performing her job,” said Collins. “No one protected her. And this sort of underscores the imperative of addressing workplace harassment, investigating it, taking corrective action and ensuring that it doesn’t continue.”
TheGrio reached out to Monforte and the LAUSD for comment regarding the accusations and is currently awaiting a response.
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