Oakland Schools sued over firing
Ex-dean claims wrongful discharge
A former dean of the Oakland Schools Technical Campus in Clarkston has filed a lawsuit claiming he was required to come to work in violation of the state’s COVID-19 orders and was wrongfully discharged.
Oakland Schools, the intermediate district providing services to all schools in the county, says the exdean, Charles Locklear, failed to follow COVID-19 protocols, needlessly exposing employees at the Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northwest.
Following a hearing Feb. 23, the Oakland Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a recommendation from Superintendent Wanda Cook-Robinson to fire Locklear, 60, who had served as dean at the technical campus for 21 years.
Twelve of Locklear’s subordinates at the technical campus gave the board statements in his support, according to the lawsuit, filed in Oakland County Circuit Court.
Oakland Schools operates four technical campuses, where high school students from around the county receive training in disciplines such as construction trades, culinary arts, auto repair, cosmetology and more.
The lawsuit says Locklear was a “scapegoat” for the school district’s own failed policies, which resulted in several employees contracting COVID-19 and two hospitalizations. The lawsuit seeks at least $25,000 in damages.
The lawsuit says students at the technical campuses did not attend school in person at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.
The board met remotely. Oakland Schools’ central office staff worked from home.
But instructors and administrators at the technical campuses had to come to work, in violation of the state’s order that anyone who could work from home should do so, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit claims Locklear followed all of Oakland Schools’ protocols for notifying the central office when several employees experienced symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 in late September and early October.
Yet, Oakland Schools still required the technical campus staff to report to work in person. Locklear, a diabetic, tested positive on Oct. 14.
Oakland Schools issued an order allowing the technical campus staff to work from home on Oct. 21.
Dandridge Floyd, Oakland Schools’ assistant superintendent of human resources, said in a statement that Cook-Robinson recommended Locklear be terminated for “recklessly disregarding safety rules and procedures implemented to protect employees against COVID and providing false information to health officials impacting their ability to properly trace potential COVID exposure.”
Floyd said the termination followed a thorough investigation. She alleged that Locklear violated policy by coming to work Oct. 12 while he was experiencing symptoms, after completing a daily health screening tool verifying that he was not symptomatic.
The investigation determined he was visibly exhibiting symptoms as he met with employees and walked around the technical campus, she said.
In the lawsuit, Locklear says he did not experience symptoms until after he returned home on the evening of Oct. 12. He said he spent most of the day in his office.
Floyd said the technical school campus employees reported to work in person from the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year because “our curriculum revolves around significant hands-on instruction.”
She said the district provided several accommodations for employees who self-identified as being in a vulnerable population, including remote work.