DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – A Mansfield ISD elementary school teacher filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday against the school district, claiming sexual orientation discrimination.
According to Jason Smith, the attorney for art teacher Stacy Bailey, in August 2017, Bailey presented her students at Charlotte Anderson Elementary with a “Get To Know Your Teacher” slide show. She included photos of her parents, her best friends, a baby picture, and her then, future spouse Julie Vasquez. A parent allegedly complained that Bailey was promoting a homosexual agenda to her students.
It would be just like a parent saying they have a religious problem with a certain race and they don’t won’t their child taught by a person of a certain race,” said Smith. “Certainly that’s intolerable.”
Bailey said she met with school officials and was told she did nothing wrong. Bailey asked Mansfield ISD to include protections for LGBT employees in their anti-discrimination policy. On September 8, 2017, Mansfield placed Bailey on paid administrative leave. She has not taught since that date. The school district said that Bailey was placed on leave because of complaints from parents about her discussing her sexual orientation with students.
“When she talked to her students she talked about her family,” said Smith. “All families are deserving of respect, not just families of certain criteria.”
Families of Charlotte Anderson Elementary, whose children were students of Bailey, began asking the district to bring her back to the classroom. On April 24, Mansfield ISD renewed Bailey’s contract. By letter dated May 1, 2018, Mansfield ISD reassigned Bailey to teach in a secondary school. Smith said the renewal sends the message that the school district believes LGBT teachers are not acceptable to teach elementary students.
In the lawsuit, Bailey seeks reassignment to Charlotte Anderson Elementary and acknowledgment that what Mansfield ISD did was illegal and wrong and should never be done again.
Mansfield ISD released the statement below after the lawsuit was filed.
The Mansfield Independent School District categorically denies the allegations in the lawsuit
filed today by Stacy Bailey. Once facts are fully known and parties deposed, we are confident
this lawsuit will not warrant merit.
Mrs. Bailey has been a teacher with Mansfield ISD for a decade. During her tenure with the
District, there has never been an issue with her open sexual preferences until this year. That’s
when her actions in the classroom changed, which prompted her students to voice concerns to
their parents.
The issue at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School is whether Mrs. Bailey has followed District
guidelines requiring that controversial subjects be taught in “an impartial and objective manner.
Teachers shall not use the classroom to transmit personal belief regarding political or sectarian
issues.”
The record will show through discovery in this lawsuit that Mansfield ISD is and has been an
inclusive, supportive environment for LGBT staff for decades.
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