(Robert Jonathan, Headline USA) A white New Jersey educator is suing a school district for racial discrimination after he was allegedly overlooked for nearly 50 potential promotions in a six-year period.
During all that time, he allegedly only got one interview for the administrative jobs for which he applied.
The plaintiff in the racial discrimination lawsuit, Thomas Franco, 58, currently works as a guidance counselor at a Paterson, N.J., high school. Franco reportedly applied for mostly principal and vice principal positions in that city for which he apparently possesses the appropriate credentials required by the state.
He is suing the Paterson school district as well as a number of officials there who are named individually as defendants.
In legal papers, Franco claims that Paterson “does not provide the same opportunities for advancement to White applicants as it does to minority candidates” and, as such, it “is denying opportunities to Mr. Franco and refusing to promote him based on the color of his skin and not his qualifications.”
The lawsuit also claims that nearly all of the school district’s administrative-level positions are held by black or Hispanic persons.
Attorney Evan Goldman, who is representing Franco in this litigation, told the New York Post that “While I applaud the fact that the district employs many minorities to serve its mostly minority student population, at the same time the district should not prevent highly qualified individuals who may be a non-minority, from being promoted.”
He added that “Mr. Franco’s potential promotion will only serve to enhance all of the students experiences in the district.”
According to Franco’s purported LinkedIn profile that details his work history in public education in several different school districts since 1997, he has two master’s degrees from N.J. universities and a PhD in educational administration from an online university.
In the context of Franco’s approximately 45 unsuccessful internal applications, “The lawsuit alleges many of those hired had less experience and lack the academic credentials that Franco possesses,” NJ.com reported.
“Franco has a wealth of experience in administrative roles prior to joining the PPS. He is certified as director, supervisor, principal, and school administrator,” the lawsuit also maintains, while also noting that he has received positive job performance reviews since he was hired in Paterson in 2016.
Paterson is located about 15 miles northwest of New York City.
The school district is abiding by its no-comment policy when it is a party to a lawsuit. An initial legal complaint is, of course, a one-sided presentation of facts, circumstances, and applicable law.
The usual next step in any civil litigation is for the defendant(s) to file a written response to the allegations and, in general, sometimes a motion to dismiss, as a case works its way through the court system.
As an aside, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts famously once wrote that “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”
