A former teacher is suing the School District of Philadelphia, alleging religious and racial discrimination, retaliation, and violations of her constitutional rights. Cher Baylor filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on June 17, 2024, against her former employer, the School District of Philadelphia.
According to the complaint, Baylor was hired by the district in October 1999 and worked as a teacher at Penn Alexander Elementary School until she resigned on June 15, 2022. The issues began when Lauren Overton became her principal during the 2020-2021 school year. On January 22, 2021, Baylor received a disciplinary notice (204 Form) for an "Unsatisfactory Incident" related to parent concerns about cultural sensitivity and content on her Twitter account. During an investigatory conference held that same day, Overton reviewed Baylor's social media presence and found tweets that contradicted school policies on gender and race. Specifically cited were tweets from Candice Owens and Charlie Kirk that Baylor had liked but not commented on.
Baylor explained to Overton that she never discussed politics in class and voted based on pro-life and religious freedom stances. She also stated that her Bible teaches there are only two genders. Despite this explanation and having no prior disciplinary record, Overton recommended Baylor's termination for violating school policies.
In March 2021, Baylor filed a discrimination complaint with the district's Office of Employee and Labor Relations. However, Senior General Counsel Ronak Chokshi later modified Overton's recommendation to a five-day suspension instead of termination. In January 2022, another disciplinary notice was issued against Baylor for allegedly making racially insensitive comments comparing segregation during Jim Crow to vaccination mandates in Philadelphia.
Baylor claims these actions created a hostile work environment leading to her constructive discharge when she resigned under pressure in June 2022. She asserts that these actions were discriminatory based on her Christian faith and beliefs and retaliatory for her complaints about race and religious discrimination.
The lawsuit alleges violations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Section 1983 regarding First and Fourteenth Amendment rights violations, and the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance (PFPO). Baylor seeks compensatory damages for lost earnings, emotional distress, attorney’s fees, punitive damages, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The case is being handled by Mark S. Scheffer from the Law Offices of Mark S. Scheffer representing Cher Baylor. The case ID is: 2:24-cv-02660-GJP.