A former employee of a local educational institution has filed a lawsuit alleging retaliatory demotion after reporting workplace misconduct. Germaine Pierre-Ross, the plaintiff, lodged her complaint against the Palm Beach County School Board in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, on April 10, 2025.

The case centers around Pierre-Ross’s claim that she was demoted from her role as a Single School Culture Coordinator at Washington Elementary to a teaching position at Dwyer High School. This alleged demotion occurred on May 8, 2024, purportedly due to budget cuts. However, Pierre-Ross contends that this action was retaliatory and followed her filing of complaints with CARES and the Office of Professional Standards about a hostile work environment under Principal Dr. Vernicka Murray. Despite being told her position was eliminated due to funding issues, Pierre-Ross points out that another coordinator, Leroy Kelson, retained his job despite not meeting qualifications and underperforming.

Pierre-Ross argues that her demotion violated the Florida Public Sector Whistleblower Act (§112.3187 Fla. Stat.), which protects employees who report misconduct from retaliation. Her complaints included allegations of harassment by Dr. Murray and unsafe working conditions at Washington Elementary. She claims that these issues were ignored by school officials and led to false accusations against her regarding an incident involving custodian Ledone Chavers.

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