A Sacramento teacher is demanding $2.3 million from the Sacramento City Unified School District, alleging discrimination and retaliation after being disciplined for removing carpet from her classroom. KCRA 3 obtained a legal letter sent last month from Jeanine Rupert’s attorney, which claims the district discriminated against the long-time Phoebe Hearst Elementary School teacher.The letter describes Rupert’s removal from her class as a “cruel punishment.” Rupert said she tore up dirty, frayed carpet last year after years of complaints, similar to actions taken by two male teachers in their classrooms who removed carpet from their classrooms. She said her classroom, Room 7, was known for being in disarray before she took it over and that she and her father had previously painted its walls without objection. Rupert’s students assisted with the carpet removal by using hammers and a crowbar. She argued that the use of similar tools by students at the school was commonplace, with students using power tools, mowing the school lawn and trimming bushes with shears. In a disciplinary letter, the district labeled the carpet removal as vandalism, stating Rupert put students at risk and caused more than $22,000 in damage. A SCUSD spokesperson previously said that district staff assessed the carpet and determined it was not time for replacement. In a notice sent to Rupert, the district said that after Rupert’s actions the bulk of the cost to repair and replace the flooring, $12,600, was for asbestos removal. The notice said the students weren’t exposed to asbestos.Initially, Rupert offered to repay the district if she was reinstated. Now, she is demanding $2.3 million in damages. She also alleges that the district failed to comply with the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act by never notifying her or “district employees generally that there were asbestos hazards in the classrooms.” Some students and their parents have staged walkouts in support of Rupert, who was transferred out of the school. Parents have also served the school board’s president with a recall notice. SCUSD declined to comment on the allegations in the letter. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A Sacramento teacher is demanding $2.3 million from the Sacramento City Unified School District, alleging discrimination and retaliation after being disciplined for removing carpet from her classroom.
KCRA 3 obtained a legal letter sent last month from Jeanine Rupert’s attorney, which claims the district discriminated against the long-time Phoebe Hearst Elementary School teacher.
The letter describes Rupert’s removal from her class as a “cruel punishment.”
Rupert said she tore up dirty, frayed carpet last year after years of complaints, similar to actions taken by two male teachers in their classrooms who removed carpet from their classrooms.
She said her classroom, Room 7, was known for being in disarray before she took it over and that she and her father had previously painted its walls without objection.
Rupert’s students assisted with the carpet removal by using hammers and a crowbar. She argued that the use of similar tools by students at the school was commonplace, with students using power tools, mowing the school lawn and trimming bushes with shears.
In a disciplinary letter, the district labeled the carpet removal as vandalism, stating Rupert put students at risk and caused more than $22,000 in damage.
A SCUSD spokesperson previously said that district staff assessed the carpet and determined it was not time for replacement. In a notice sent to Rupert, the district said that after Rupert’s actions the bulk of the cost to repair and replace the flooring, $12,600, was for asbestos removal.
The notice said the students weren’t exposed to asbestos.
Initially, Rupert offered to repay the district if she was reinstated. Now, she is demanding $2.3 million in damages.
She also alleges that the district failed to comply with the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act by never notifying her or “district employees generally that there were asbestos hazards in the classrooms.”
Some students and their parents have staged walkouts in support of Rupert, who was transferred out of the school. Parents have also served the school board’s president with a recall notice.
SCUSD declined to comment on the allegations in the letter.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel