GRAFTON – A former Taylor County teacher and school administrator says she was a victim of gender discrimination and retaliation by the county school board and the female superintendent.
Pamela Hoskins filed her complaint against the Taylor County Board of Education and Superintendent Christine Miller in Taylor Circuit Court. The defendants filed an answer denying the allegations and seek to have the case dismissed.
According to the complaint, Hoskins was hired by the county school system in May 2014 as an art specialist at Taylor County Middle School. In 2016, she was promoted to become assistant principal at the school.
Erika Klie Kolenich
| klielaw.com
When the principal position became vacant in January 2021, the board asked Hoskins to serve as interim principal. She began serving in that position the following month.
“Following the (departure) of the prior principal at Taylor County Middle School, defendant Miller and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Allen Laugh made multiple comments to plaintiff and other administrative staff that they ‘need a man’ to fill the principal position, thus indicating their intent to recommend a male applicant for the principal position as opposed to any female applicants,” the complaint states.
In March, the school returned to five-day instructional weeks and began experiencing faculty and staff absences as well as a shortage of substitute faculty and staff. Hoskins says many faculty and staff members came to her with concerns about the shortages causing an unsafe environment for faculty, staff and students. Hoskins says she reported the concerns to Miller and Laugh.
On March 30, Hoskins and the school’s faculty senate met with state teachers union representatives to voice their concerns about the issues. She says the shortages continued in April and May.
But following her reports of safety concerns, Hoskins says Miller began retaliating against her.
On April 14, the school board posted the vacant TCMS principal position. Hoskins applied for the job April 20, and she interviewed for the job May 5. The following day, Miller told Hoskins she would be recommending one of the male applicants – Thomas Graves – for the job, saying it was a “tight race” and that Hoskins was “second up.”
“However, the reason provided was simply a pre-text in that plaintiff was rejected for the position based in part on her gender and in part retaliation for her whistleblowing activities,” the complaint states.
Miller told Hoskins she would finish the school year as interim principal before going back to the assistant principal position for the 2021-22 school year.
But, according to the complaint, the school board rescinded its offer to Graves after “learning unpleasant information” about him. But Miller didn’t make a substitute recommendation for Hoskins to be offered the position. Instead, the position was reposted. Hoskins applied again, but was rejected again in favor of another male applicant named Scott Hage.
Meanwhile, Hoskins says she talked to Renee Mahon of the West Virginia Education Association teachers’ union about the hostility she had endured since reporting the safety issues.
On June 8, Hoskins says Miller issued a negative and inaccurate performance evaluation about her.
“Plaintiff, fearing continued retaliation and discrimination, felt no other choice but to submit a notice of resignation letter to defendants on July 1, 2021,” the complaint states. “Plaintiff did not commit any separate dischargeable offense.”
Hoskins accuses the defendants of gender discrimination in violation of the state Human Rights Act, retaliation in violation of the West Virginia Whistleblower Statute, retaliation in violation of public policy as well as constructive discharge.
She says she has suffered financial losses, lost wages, lost benefits, loss of future earnings, loss of future benefits, financial hardship, emotional distress, anxiety and embarrassment. She seeks joint and several compensatory damages, interest, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.
Hoskins is being represented by Erika Klie Kolenich of Klie Law Offices in Buckhannon. The defendants are being represented by Keith Gamble of Pullin Fowler Flanagan Brown & Poe’s Morgantown office. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Shawn Nines.
Taylor Circuit Court case number 21-C-29
