Former human resources director sues Baltimore County Public Schools

A former Baltimore County Public Schools human resources director has sued the school system alleging wrongful termination.

Shiria Anderson, the system’s former chief human resources officer, filed the suit April 13. Anderson began working for BCPS in August 2021 and claims she was fired illegally on Dec. 6, 2022. She is seeking a jury trial, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

BCPS spokesperson Gboyinde Onijala declined to comment on the pending litigation. Anderson’s lawyer, R. Scott Oswald, also declined to comment.

Anderson’s suit described several occasions when she clashed with Superintendent Darryl L. Williams and other system officials.

In November 2022, according to her suit, BCPS “placed Anderson on administrative leave for purported ‘misconduct.’ ” No one told Anderson what the misconduct referred to, and no investigative report was issued, according to the suit.

Williams and BCPS fired Anderson Dec. 6, 2022 “without providing a reason or justification for the termination,” the lawsuit states.

Anderson’s suit is the second recently against the county school system. Last year, BCPS chief auditor Andrea Barr also sued alleging wrongful termination after the school board voted on her contract renewal. The board voted 6-0 in favor of renewal, with five members choosing not to vote, either abstaining or recusing. The motion required seven votes to pass.

BCPS settled the suit with Barr for $115,000 in damages and agreed to a new contract with her with a $213,397 annual salary.

In Anderson’s suit, she said she met with Williams “about September 2021” to discuss plans to send termination notices to three individuals who could not be discharged because they were tenured. About a month later, the suit says, Williams’ executive assistant instructed Anderson to send letters of dismissal to employees, including the three with tenure, as a result of a restructuring.

Anderson said she requested to speak to Williams to ensure that “no protected classes would be unlawfully targeted” and that BCPS complied with labor laws.

“Williams accused Anderson in response of disobeying his instructions,” the suit says.

Around November 2021, Anderson consulted with BCPS’ general counsel, who confirmed the tenured employees could not be demoted or fired. Williams later created consulting positions for them to “ensure they were not being demoted,” the filing states.

Separately, by 2022, Anderson, Williams and Deputy Superintendent Myriam Yarbrough had “discussed disciplinary action” for a manager “on several occasions,” according to the lawsuit. That summer, Anderson told Williams she placed that manager on leave.

Williams then “berated” Anderson for not telling him first and “accused Anderson of engaging in a ‘powerplay,’ ” her suit says.

After Anderson promoted another BCPS employee last summer, Williams told her it was a mistake because the employee had an active discrimination complaint pending against the system, according to the suit.

Anderson said Williams was “improperly motivated” to roll back the promotion because of the discrimination complaint.

The school system’s general counsel confirmed the the employee could not be denied the promotion, but Williams issued Anderson a letter of counseling, a form of reprimand, in mid-July, according to the suit.

Then, in November, Anderson denied an increased salary offer to a prospective hire who is a relative of BCPS Chief of Staff Mildred Charley-Greene, saying the salary request was too high for the candidate’s qualifications.

A few days later, Anderson was placed on leave.