ASHBURN, VA – A former Loudoun County Public Schools teacher is suing the school board, saying it refused to accommodate his disabilities and retaliated against him for reporting harassment and concerning behavior between a teacher and student.
Tony Cimino-Johnson, a former theater teacher at Rock Ridge High School, is suing the Loudoun County School Board for $2.35 million, claiming the school district violated the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act in their treatment of him.
Cimino-Johnson is openly gay and says he was diagnosed with autism, as well as having anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He was hired by the district in 2014.
Cimino-Johnson is the husband of Leesburg Vice Mayor Todd Cimino-Johnson, according to a Loudoun Now report.
According to the lawsuit, Cimino-Johnson's problems largely began in July 2024, when he made informal requests to his principal and LCPS Superintendent Aaron Spence to have his class size reduced because it was double that of a colleague. The request was rejected and led to an inappropriate reprimand, he claims.
Cimino-Johnson then requested ADA accommodations related to class load, class size, presence on campus, receiving meeting agendas, mediation on relational problems in the department, and other issues.
The school accommodated some of his requests, but not all, which Cimino-Johnson said was not reasonable. According to the lawsuit, the school began to exclude him from key meetings after he requested accommodations.
He also claims the school dismissed his complaints about colleagues, creating a hostile work environment for him.
In addition, the lawsuit claims the school district retaliated against Cimino-Johnson after he reported alleged concerning conduct by a colleague.
According to the lawsuit, a student came to Cimino-Johnson with pictures of what they said was a mold made by a teacher of another student's breasts. Cimino-Johnson claims a parent also commented on perceived favoritism between the student and teacher that made her uncomfortable.
According to the lawsuit, Cimino-Johnson reported the incident to his principal, but after receiving no follow-up communication on the issue, he filed a complaint with Child Protective Services about 10 days later.
As a result, the lawsuit claims the teacher facing the accusations encouraged the student to manufacture allegations against Cimino-Johnson, saying he "yelled" at her.
According to the lawsuit, Cimino-Johnson believed the incident was handled inappropriately by the school board, that his disability was not taken into account in their assessment of the incident, and that he was scrutinized more than straight, female colleagues who'd faced similar accusations.
The school board used an external investigator to assess that complaint, which the lawsuit claims was irregular. The investigator concluded that Cimino-Johnson had made a complaint against a teacher in retaliation.
Cimino-Johnson also alleges that the district violated his rights under the ADA, discriminated against him as a gay man and violated his rights under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act in handling his complaints.
He's asking for $1 million in lost compensation; $1 million in damages for violation of Title VII, the ADA and Virginia law; and $350,000 in punitive damages. The EEOC has issued a Right to Sue ruling in Cimino-Johnson's complaint.
Loudoun County Public Schools said it would not comment on pending legal matters.
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