Dec 10, 2024 Story by: Editor
A Black educator has reached a settlement with the Charter Oak Unified School District after filing a lawsuit claiming he was demoted from his position as principal in 2022 due to racial discrimination and retaliation for raising concerns about his treatment.
Peter Pannell’s lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, included allegations of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, failure to investigate and prevent misconduct, and violations of the state Labor Code.
Court filings submitted on Monday by Pannell’s legal team notified Judge Kevin Brazile of the case’s resolution, though details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Previously, attorneys representing the school district denied Pannell’s allegations, asserting that the claims were barred by the statute of limitations.
Pannell, now 62, began his tenure as the principal of Cedargrove Elementary School in Covina in July 2018. According to the lawsuit, tensions arose in September 2020 when a PTA vice president proposed distributing materials supporting law enforcement officers who had been shot. Pannell suggested it would be fair to also educate students about the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, both of whom died in police encounters.
When Pannell cautioned the PTA that both the initial proposal and his recommendation might be viewed as overly political, the vice president reacted angrily, claiming his political views endangered her child, according to the lawsuit filed in April 2022.
That same month, Pannell faced criticism from the teachers’ union and the superintendent after disciplining a white teacher. Following this, Pannell reported to the district’s assistant superintendent of educational services that he was being targeted due to his race. However, two months later, the superintendent challenged Pannell’s actions, accused him of unfairly targeting the teacher, and demanded he rescind the disciplinary report, the lawsuit stated.
In January 2021, during a PTA executive meeting, Pannell raised concerns about the disproportionate number of Black students referred for disciplinary action. He recommended teacher training to better understand diverse cultural backgrounds and to adopt more tailored disciplinary approaches. However, he was met with accusations of racism during the meeting, according to the lawsuit.
In April 2021, the district’s human resources department initiated an investigation into Pannell’s complaints of racial discrimination and harassment. Despite this, Pannell’s work environment reportedly deteriorated further.
The lawsuit alleges that during a meeting with the superintendent in August 2021, Pannell was asked to explain his difficulties with “certain people.” Later, the superintendent allegedly described him as “arrogant” and “lacking humility” without offering specifics. By the end of that month, the district acknowledged failures in investigating Pannell’s initial complaints but concluded there was “insufficient evidence” of racial discrimination or harassment.
In February 2022, Pannell was presented with an ultimatum: resign or accept a demotion to a special education teaching role with reduced rank and pay, effective at the end of the fiscal year. The lawsuit claims he was not provided specific reasons for the demotion, and the district admitted there were no complaints against him. Source: MSN
