Lawsuit filed by former administrator
LANSDALE » A civil suit has been filed by a former North Penn School District administrator claiming the district illegally fired her over a Facebook post last summer.
Ashley Bennett, a former special education supervisor who resigned from the district in July, has filed suit against the district’s school board and several administrators.
“Defendants, who are overwhelmingly left-wing administrators and elected officials, are criminalizing disagreement with their left wing politics. Defendants believe that they have a monopoly on truth and acceptable political commentary,” claims the suit filed by attorney Francis Malofiy, of the Media-based law firm Francis Alexander LLC.
In late June Bennett was put on leave by the district after social media comments drew attention to a Facebook post questioning the “Black Lives Matter” movement and related summer protests and violence. The district posted a statement on June 26 saying the administrator had been put on leave and that “the views expressed conf lict with our work to develop a community that values diversity,” and did not align with district values. On July 16 the board accepted a list of personnel items that included Bennett’s resignation, which was listed as
being effective July 14, and in late July Malofiy told The Reporter that the former administrator was considering litigation, charging Bennett was illegally punished for private political speech.
The lawsuit was filed in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas on Oct. 23, according to a copy obtained by The Reporter. In the filing, Bennett names the nine district school board members, Superintendent Curt Dietrich, H.R. Director Mia Kim, then-interim director of special education Sean Arney, and Director of Community Engagement Christine Liberaski.
The suit alleges that “aside from violating Bennett’s civil rights, the public fusillade leveled against her also unambiguously violated Pennsylvania criminal law which requires strict confidentiality of all disciplinary complaints,” and notes that each publication is a third-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and $2,500 in fines.
“As a result of defendants’ criminal press blitz, Bennett became a pariah overnight — as defendants intended. There was never a shred of cause for defendants to discipline, investigate, or publicly comment on Ashley Bennett, who was engaging in protected political speech.”
The suit alleges that “reeling, and humiliated by the district’s false and outrageous public attacks on her, Mrs. Bennett involuntarily resigned on July 9, 2020, under protest as a result of defendants’ coercion. Defendants had never even told her what the charges were against her.”
The original Facebook post was done on Bennett’s personal device, not during work, and claims “the response from the district should have simply been that employees have a First Amendment right to say what they want outside school on matters of public concern,” citing court cases and board policies regarding freedom of speech and political activity.
“As is often the case these days, a social media mob formed and came for Mrs. Bennett’s job at North Penn based on the content of her expression, contact