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In Florida, Quaker High School Teacher Sues Claiming Discrimination

By Howard M. Friedman

In Ocala, Florida, teacher Ronald Wray has filed suit against the Marion County School Board charging that he was effectively forced to resign from his construction teaching position at Marion Technical Institute because of a hostile work environment. Wray, a Quaker, claims that principal Mark Vianello objected to his religious-inspired black clothing. According to a report yesterday from the Ocala Star-Banner, Wray resigned in 2007 after the principal told him "not to come to school with a Blues Brothers or Johnny Cash look," called him a "nut job," and threatened not to let him walk in graduation because of his dress, among other threats. He says the principal passed him over for a promotion and threatened to blackball him and his wife from other teaching positions. After he resigned, Wray ran for school superintendent position, but lost. His lawsuit alleges violations of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Apparently Wray now teaches at South Fort Myers High School.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 06, 2010 (boomark / email).