Renee Marie Irwin, a white Teacher in the Pleasantville School District close to Atlantic City has been given $45,000 and a promotion to assistant principal after suing the school district for racial discrimination. Irwin began teaching in the district in 1997 and she has applied for open assistant principal positions 8 times, only to be passed over for much less qualified black teachers. The 8th rejection was the final straw when it was found out the only qualification she had was that she was sleeping with a member of the school board.
Irwin also claimed that Pleasantville school officials refused to investigate her discrimination claims. Further, she said, an official informed her that the district has maintained “a long-standing practice of reverse racial discrimination” which, in practice, “systematically” gives management jobs only to black people, according to WKXW
Irwin and the school district agreed to the confidential — “confidential” — settlement in December. A blog called NJ Civil Settlements revealed the settlement this week.
Documents from the lawsuit including the complaint and the confidential — “confidential” — settlement are available here.
Irwin has also gotten the promotion she sought for so long. She is the assistant principal at Leeds Avenue Elementary School, according to the school’s website.
That promotion was part of the settlement agreement. However, the position is only good for one year and her employment must be renewed.
The population of Pleasantville is 45.9 percent black, according to United States Census Bureau data.
Over the past five years racial discrimination suits filed by white employees have been on the rise, many of which have proved successful. The Philadelphia School District just settled a case for six figures.