Former Eastpointe principal files federal lawsuit against school district and superintendent - The Macomb Daily

A 15-count federal lawsuit was filed in United States District Court July 14 by former Eastpointe High School principal Asenath Jones against Eastpointe Community Schools and Superintendent Christian Gibson individually.

The 50-page lawsuit alleges race discrimination, retaliation and hostile work environment; First Amendment retaliation; violation of the Michigan Public Employment Relations Act; breach of contract; violation of the Michigan School Code; negligent misrepresentation; and defamation.

Attorney Jeffrey Hart of Smith, Haughey, Rice & Roegge is demanding a jury trial on behalf of his client.

The lawsuit comes after the Eastpointe Community Schools Board voted in a closed-door meeting not to renew Jones’ contract in March. Jones, who is Black, alleges the move was retaliation for her complaints regarding the hostile work environment at the high school and her involvement with her union.

Eastpointe Community Schools Superintendent Christina Gibson is named individually in a federal lawsuit filed by former principal Asenath Jones against the school district.(EASTPOINTE SCHOOLS PHOTO)

Jones resigned in May, which sparked week-long student protests calling for her reinstatement. She alleges documents critical of her work performance began appearing in her personnel file after she filed a grievance with the school district in January and that she was told by Gibson that negative reports would be removed from her file if she resigned.

Jones alleges in the lawsuit that Gibson, who is white, used racial slurs and discriminated against the Black principals in the district including telling three Black principals they could not sit together during a school meeting. The lawsuit also alleges that when Jones sought representation from the American Federation of School Administrators, she discovered the district had not paid dues to the national umbrella organization for five years despite Jones and other administrators paying dues to Eastpointe Community Schools that were to be sent to the AFSA.

Jones was hired as an assistant principal  by Eastpointe Community Schools in August of 2021 and was promoted to interim principal of the high school in January 2022. She is the fifth principal Eastpointe High School has had in as many years.

She has worked in education for 26 years and was previously Dean of Students at Cass Technical High School in Detroit.

Eastpointe Community Schools issued a statement July 19 saying they are unable to comment on the lawsuit.

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Former Eastpointe principal files federal lawsuit against school district and superintendent - The Macomb Daily
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