Hilary Bailey, 61, has reportedly filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district and Benjamin Turner Middle School Principal Jonathan Brown claiming that he was unfairly treated due to his age and a medical condition he suffers from.
Bailey was hired by the district in 2000, while Brown became principal at the middle school in 2013.
According to reports, the conflict between the two men came to a head in 2014 when Bailey’s wife filed an identity theft report with police in regards to the purchase of cell phones made in her name that were received by a “J. Brown.” Bailey later filed a discrimination charge in 2016, and was later placed on a teacher improvement plan.
Bailey proceeded to file a report with the New York State Education Department last year alleging that Brown illegally altered student answers on state exams. A month after the claim, Bailey was suspended from work in the district with pay, in April 2017.
Mount Vernon school officials could not be immediately reached for comment early on Friday morning. Court documents from the lawsuit can be found here.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Pelham and receive free news updates.