Ex-Atlanta Teacher Sues Over Sex Harassment Case

ATLANTA, GA — A former Atlanta Public Schools teacher is suing the system after she says she was sexually harassed by the school's principal.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Stephanie Fowler, a special education teacher who worked for the school system from 2011 until early this year, has filed suit in federal court claiming she had to quit over how the system handled complaints she'd been harassed by Joseph Salley, the principal at Kimberly Elementary School.

The suit claims she was subjected to "sexually explicit comments and behavior" by Salley, according to the AJC. A spokesman for APS told the paper it plans to defend itself against Fowler's claims in court.

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After receiving a poor evaluation in September, Fowler provided the system a doctor's report that she suffered from anxiety and asked to be transferred to another school, the suit says. Then, in November, her doctor diagnosed her with panic disorder and advised her not to return to her workplace.

She says she again requested several times to be transferred but the request was not approved, so she resigned.

According to the lawsuit, Fowler filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over the alleged sexual harassment and a hostile work environment and another claiming disability discrimination and retaliation, the AJC reports.

To read the AJC story, click here.

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