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Sarah Barlow says the trouble began during the 2019-2020 year when she got into disagreements with South Mountain Elementary School principal, who later believed she had filed a report saying he was having a sexual relationship with a first-grade teacher, according to a lawsuit filed in Essex County Superior Court.
Barlow was transferred out of South Mountain Elementary School and into the South Mountain Annex for the 2022-23 school year, where she was asked to teach a class that included special education students, but was not given an aide despite having requested one multiple times, the suit says.
The situation exacerbated her anxiety and caused significant distress. In October 2022, Mason sent Barlow a letter "admonishing her for exhibiting signs of anxiety and stress in the classroom," which the suit says were due to her medical condition.
Mason's letter said Barlow's "crying spells" were unprofessional and that a corrective action plan was forthcoming, according to court papers.
Barlow's therapist subsequently put her on a six-week medical leave due to stress and anxiety of work. Barlow subsequently resigned on Nov. 1, 2022, "due to the district’s failure to address her complaints of unlawful behavior and complete disregard for her disability and mental health," the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit accuses the district of failing to accommodate Barlow's disability (anxiety) recognized as a handicap by the he New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. The suit alleges Barlow was "unlawfully discriminated against" based on district officials' alleged perception she was "unable to perform the essential functions of her job," which is in violation of the LAD.
The suit additionally accuses the SOMSD of failing to accommodate Barlow's disability, and instead, disciplined her for her symptoms and constructively discharging her employment. Barlow was not engaged in the "interactive process" to find reasonable accommodations, the suit furthers.
"[Barlow] has been severely injured as a result of such discrimination that she has suffered, and continues to suffer, severe emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, anguish, physical and bodily injuries, personal hardship, career and social disruption, psychological and emotional harm, economic losses, lost employment opportunities, and other such damages," the suit concludes.
The SOMSD declined comment to Daily Voice.
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