(The Lion) — A New Jersey public school educator alleges in a lawsuit against her school that anti-white harassment resulted in her stress-induced stroke.
Longtime educator Tina Volpe filed a lawsuit against Community Charter School of Paterson (CCSP), where she had previously worked as the supervisor of the English as a Second Language department.
The lawsuit claims Volpe was harassed by school CEO Ira Griffith, who was hired in 2023. He allegedly said on multiple occasions, “This is not a place for white people to teach or work.”
Volpe was also openly called a “white b—” and “whitey” by other colleagues, students and parents. She is suing for monetary damages.
CCSP is a K-8 public charter school. According to its website, 86% of its students are lower-income, 89% are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and 12% have special needs.
Nearly half (43%) of school staff also are BIPOC, including almost all the members of the leadership team.
In addition to alleging racial discrimination, Volpe argues the school knowingly failed to meet the requirements of students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), for which she alerted the New Jersey Department of Education.
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates disabled students receive a “free appropriate public education” and legally obligates schools to fulfill the conditions of a student’s IEP.
Volpe alleges CCSP retaliated against her, eventually causing her to have a stress-induced stroke. She was then forced to resign in May 2024, after she alleges the school refused to accommodate her ongoing medical issues.
CCSP leadership denies harassing Volpe.
“This lawsuit is wholly without merit, and the school categorically denies the contrived information in the complaint,” CEO Griffith said in an email.
New Jersey isn’t the only place where anti-white racism has allegedly occurred.
A white California teacher won a lawsuit against his local teachers’ union for making a leadership role exclusively for racial minorities – thus discriminating against white union members.
A parents’ rights group filed a federal complaint against a Minnesota district for excluding white teachers from professional development.
And Northwestern University in Illinois was sued in 2024 for allegedly discriminating against white male job candidates.
