Fourth lawsuit filed against Eastpointe Community Schools superintendent, district

EASTPOINTE — Did Eastpointe Community Schools Superintendent Christina Gibson create a hostile work environment for Black employees?

That is what a handful of former staff members are saying.

In the last 15 months, four past employees have filed separate lawsuits in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against Gibson and the school district claiming they were discriminated against because of their race. All the plaintiffs are Black; Gibson is white. The cases are pending.

On July 14, 2023, former Eastpointe High School Principal Asenath Jones filed a formal complaint against Gibson and the school district accusing the superintendent of creating a hostile work environment, race discrimination and retaliation.

One month later, on Aug. 23, former secondary administrator Renita M. Williams filed a lawsuit against Gibson and the school district after suffering inequality, retaliation and a hostile work environment, according to the lawsuit.

On Jan. 5, former district employee Leah Black filed a lawsuit claiming she was discriminated against and forced to work in a hostile work environment because of her race.

The most recent lawsuit was filed Oct. 11 by former special education teacher and basketball coach Michael Railey. The lawsuit charges Gibson with three counts of race discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and hostile work environment; one count of First Amendment retaliation; one count of breach of contract; one count of violation of the Michigan Revised School Code; and one count of violations of the Whistleblower Protection Act.

According to the complaint, Railey said the race discrimination began in 2023 when Gibson asked Jones to mark his evaluation down to minimally effective or lower, but Jones refused. The lawsuit also states that Gibson had Jones interview potential coaches while Railey remained as head basketball coach.

“Gibson advised Jones that the only way to get him out of the head basketball position was to ‘evaluate him out of the position,’” court documents state. “Again Jones refused to change her evaluations of plaintiff.”

Railey’s lawsuit states the hearing to remove Railey from his head coaching position was not done in conformity with the due process requirements and without appropriate notice or allowance for representation by the plaintiff’s union representative or attorney.

Railey also claims Gibson did not provide the proper written notice of nonrenewal of his contract as head basketball coach and special education teacher after he made complaints of racial discrimination. Prior to filing the lawsuit earlier this month, Railey filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The lawsuit claims Gibson’s act of removing Railey from his role as coach and teacher “further establishes punishment and treatment of the plaintiff that is different in kind to the white employees of the district.”

Railey spoke during the hearing of the public Sept. 9 at the district’s Board of Education meeting, where he described Gibson as “racist, inept and corrupt” and said she runs the district “like her own personal crime family.”

 

Board president, vice president ‘address rumored concerns’
The Eastsider contacted the district seeking comment from Gibson, but according to district Communications and Marketing Coordinator Caitlyn Kienitz, school officials cannot comment further because the litigation is pending. However, Board of Education President Jon Gruenberg and Vice President Chineva Early issued a joint letter Oct. 17 to the school community and staff “to address rumored concerns.” Both elected officials are confident the legal process will ultimately result in the dismissal of the lawsuits on terms favorable to the district.

According to the letter, three of the employees resigned from the school district, and two of them left on good terms. Another employee was nonrenewed based on unsatisfactory performance.

Gruenberg and Early stressed that in each case in which unfavorable action was taken against an employee, the administration consulted with legal counsel to ensure that the action was appropriate. The board, too, was informed of the employees’ issues and the action that was going to be taken to address such issues.

“These lawsuits allege that the actions taken that were unfavorable to such employees were motivated by reasons other than the employees’ behavior or performance,” the letter states. “The majority of this board, the district’s legal counsel, and the district’s central office administrators who have themselves investigated the issues relating to such employees, or been advised of the same, can firmly attest that such allegations in these lawsuits are not true: The only reasons for any unfavorable action taken with respect to such employees were based strictly upon their behavior or performance.”

Railey’s lawsuit in particular was brought up during the Oct. 14 Board of Education meeting when Gruenberg read a statement at the request of the district’s law firm, Clark Hill PLC. According to Gruenberg, the district immediately launched an investigation by reviewing emails, personnel files, text messages and interviewing multiple staff members.

“The investigation has now concluded and it found that all of Mr. Railey’s accusations were unfounded and patently false,” Gruenberg said. “Mr. Railey’s accusations were extremely serious and, if true, could have impacted Superintendent Gibson’s continued employment and her career in education. However, the investigation showed that Mr. Railey was fully aware he had no evidence to support his claims and acted recklessly by making them.”

 

Residents respond
At the Oct. 14 Eastpointe Community Schools Board of Education meeting, two Eastpointe residents addressed their concerns about the lawsuits. At the podium, resident Reola Hammond said she found the fourth lawsuit “so disheartening.” She also brought up how the coach was investigated.

“My question is, the board as whole, have you all done your fiduciary responsibilities and investigated? If not, that’s being ineffective,” Hammond said. “Because those kind of allegations, those lawsuits, they affect community morale, administrative morale, teacher morale. And that therefore will roll down to the students. Your duties and responsibility are to the school district and the students.”

Resident Cindy Federle also shared her thoughts about the district using Clark Hill PLC to investigate the allegations by Railey. Since the same law firm represents the district, she felt it was a conflict of interest.

“There is attorney-client privilege but when an employee is being interviewed by the district law firm, where does the loyalty fall? It seems the law firm will do their best to protect their client, which is the district,” Federle said. “This is exactly why you need to hire an independent source. I urge the elected school board members to rediscover their integrity and do the right thing, hire an independent investigator, please.”