Photo via WESH
A former math teacher at Edgewater High School filed a lawsuit against Orange County Public Schools last week alleging she was fired in 2013 because she was at the time, dating a black man.
The lawsuit says the school’s administrators treated Audrey Dudek, who is white, differently because she associated with non-white staff members and manipulated her performance reviews. Schools officials were “shocked and offended” upon finding out Dudek’s boyfriend, who is now her husband, was black, WESH reports.
The lawsuit also includes other allegations, including one claiming that during a school talent show, white faculty members acted out a skit in “black face” by using weave hair extensions, afro wigs, gold teeth, gold jewelry and baggy clothing in their performance.
An investigation by the Florida Commission on Human Relations into Dudek’s complaint found that “reasonable cause existed to believe Dudek’s allegations that OCPS committed an unlawful employment practice,” the lawsuit says. The district released a statement denying the allegations made by Dudek, and have said they will not comment further “due to pending litigation.”
