Christie Tran alleges retaliation in law suit against NTPS

A former North Thurston Public Schools teacher who supported students during protests in 2022 against racism and sexual harassment has sued the district, alleging school officials retaliated against her.

Christie Tran alleges in the suit that the district violated the state’s antidiscrimination law by demoting her and “destroying her reputation through false, baseless claims she committed misconduct.” Tran filed the lawsuit this month in Thurston County Superior Court.

Tran initially filed a complaint with the Washington State Human Rights Commission, which concluded in October the district unlawfully retaliated against her, according to her attorney Jay Free. But the commission lacks the authority to enforce broader changes, he said.

“It shouldn’t just be my job to protect students; this is what the district and the administration should be doing also,” Tran said in an interview. “This lawsuit is about bringing about those changes.”

In an email last week, spokeswoman Amy Blondin said the district had not yet received the lawsuit and does not comment on active litigation.

Tran worked as a visual arts teacher at River Ridge High School in Lacey starting in 2012. In recent years, Tran said she became alarmed by the district’s inability to provide a safe learning environment for students and staff.

The district did not investigate or record complaints of sexual harassment, including allegations of a male student taking “up-skirt” photos of cheerleaders, the lawsuit alleged. The district also did not discipline male students for groping female students, the lawsuit alleged.

Administrators also failed to protect students of color from feeling under attack, Tran said, including when students from another school yelled racist chants at a Black basketball player from River Ridge during a game, calling him a “gorilla” and making ape noises.

In late January 2022 and early February 2022, hundreds of students walked out of class and peacefully participated in a nine-day protest, criticizing the district’s handling of sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

“With these young people, it’s something you would want them to do, is stand up for their rights and speak out,” Tran said. “Part of my job as an educator is to ensure their rights to speak up are protected.”

Tran took medical and personal time off to help the students during the protests. She arranged for parents and community organizers to monitor the strike, and offered guidance to students on how to stay safe. She provided ideas for antidiscrimination chants, and encouraged students to set achievable goals, she said.

Meanwhile, Tran continued to put pressure on the district to address the students’ concerns, emailing district administrators and staff, she said.

Just days after the protests, Tran was placed on administrative leave for about eight months, as the district conducted what the lawsuit said was a “sham” investigation into allegations of misconduct, including “potential misappropriation” of school funds. Tran filed her complaint to the state’s human rights commission shortly after.

The district later dropped the allegation of misappropriated funds, the lawsuit stated, but concluded in November 2022 that Tran had violated several school policies, such as failing to follow protocol for accepting donations.

The lawsuit called the investigation’s findings false, and “an attempt to silence Ms. Tran for engaging in protected activity.” Tran alleged two other teachers who also supported the student protests and collected donations in the same way were not disciplined or investigated.

“Instead, NTPS targeted only the public face of the student-led protests: Ms. Tran,” the lawsuit alleged.

Tran was then moved to a different school and demoted to an elementary school reading room position. Every day she reported to work, “she felt sick to her stomach,” the lawsuit stated.

After taking medical leave at various times, Tran ultimately resigned in May 2023.

“It’s taken a huge emotional toll on me, and it’s been really difficult, but I think about those students, and I have to move forward in my commitment to seek justice for not just me, but for those students who spoke out.”

Tran is seeking the removal of any retaliation in her personnel file, back pay, compensation for future lost wages and damages for noneconomic harm to be determined at trial.