A Dallas Independent School District kindergarten teacher has filed a lawsuit against the district, alleging discrimination and retaliation. The teacher, named Anali Vidaña, claims the district violated her rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the First Amendment. Vidaña, who has taught at Mockingbird Elementary for nine years, also has two children enrolled in the district, one of whom receives special education services.
Vidaña alleges that the issues began when she raised concerns about the support her special needs child was receiving. According to the lawsuit, a conference with the principal and other staff was held to address these concerns. The principal allegedly responded negatively to Vidaña’s request, reportedly expressing that differing cultural backgrounds made collaboration challenging. This comment, the suit claims, was discriminatory and led to further retaliation against Vidaña.
The lawsuit details a series of alleged retaliatory actions following Vidaña’s complaints. It states that Vidaña was reassigned multiple times, her stipend for teaching bilingual classes was revoked, and she was excluded from crucial communications. Though the district later restored her stipend, the lawsuit claims this was only after an attorney contacted the district on Vidaña’s behalf.
The lawsuit further alleges that Vidaña faced retaliation for questioning the district’s practices regarding the classification of English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Vidaña claims that the district inflates the number of ESL students to gain additional funding and that her disagreement with this practice displeased the principal. The suit suggests that Vidaña’s opposition led to further reprisals, including being sidelined from meetings and not being informed of new school rules.
The allegations underscore a broader narrative of fear and manipulation. Vidaña claims that the school principal used fear tactics to ensure compliance from the staff, further isolating her in the process. The suit also highlights an incident where Vidaña was publicly reprimanded by the principal for not adhering to a new rule, a rule she was unaware of due to being excluded from communications.
Vidaña is seeking damages for the alleged discrimination and retaliation. She is also pursuing reimbursement for legal fees and other litigation costs. The lawsuit demands all appropriate relief the court deems necessary.