DAVIS COUNTY, Utah — A woman hired to investigate racial harassment in the Davis School District filed a lawsuit, claiming she was racially discriminated against during her time there.
“The reason that this is so important to her is because it demonstrates that Davis has a systemic issue of racism,” said attorney Katie Panzer.
In Oct. 2021, the Department of Justice found evidence of “widespread racial discrimination” within the district.
“They ended up signing a settlement agreement with the DOJ and as part of that settlement agreement, they agreed to establish an Office of Equal Opportunity to address these complaints of racial harassment,” explained Panzer.
Her client, Dr. Joscelin Thomas, was hired to investigate those complaints in the summer of 2022.
“As soon as she started, she was treated differently from her non-black co-workers,” said Panzer.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, alleges Dr. Thomas was denied opportunities for training that other District Coordinators were provided.
She also claims her investigation findings were changed and that she was treated “as a subordinate, rather than a colleague.”
“She was getting a lot of criticism of the way she was doing investigations while her other co-workers were not receiving that criticism,” Panzer said.
According to the court documents, Dr. Thomas was given a list of complaints against her in a “Letter of Concern.” In spring 2023, she was notified her contract would not be renewed.
She said she was told there would be “an investigation of a violation of standards.”
“They put her on administrative leave for an investigation that it seems like they never actually did,” said Panzer.
FOX 13 News reached out to the district for comment. A spokesperson said the district will not speak on potential litigation but sent a statement:
“Davis School District administrators, teachers, and staff stand firmly against any form of harassment or discrimination that affects a child’s learning experience in our schools. Our primary duty and responsibility is to create a safe environment for every child, employee and patron.”
The district also shared its 13-page harassment and discrimination policy, which they say was “purposefully updated” in August 2023.
