Wilde Lake teacher alleges retaliation, sues
By Jennifer Broadwater
jbroadwater@patuxent.com
Posted 8/28/08
In the civil lawsuit, filed Aug. 22 in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, teacher Michelle Maupin accuses staff members at Wilde Lake of harassment and retaliation.
Maupin said she believes she is being harassed in an effort to make her quit her job.
"I haven't done anything wrong. I've stood up for myself," she said in an interview. "I don't know why I can't just come to work and do my job like everyone else. Instead, there's this excessive scrutiny of my work and my classroom."
In the lawsuit, she accuses Wilde Lake Principal Restia Whitaker and Assistant Principal John Seibel of subjecting her to unwarranted negative evaluations and of docking her pay.
She accuses teacher Christian Callender of making disparaging remarks about her that have damaged her reputation and she accuses teacher Robyn McDonald of making false accusations of misconduct by Maupin.
In addition, the lawsuit states that Superintendent Sydney Cousin and the Board of Education failed to protect Maupin from harassment or adequately respond to the situation.
Maupin has requested a jury trial in the case. In addition to the $1 million in compensatory and punitive damages she seeks, Maupin is asking that her personnel file be purged of all negative evaluations and disciplinary actions and that retaliation against her cease.
Cousin and school board chairman Frank Aquino said they had not yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment on it.
Whitaker, Callender, Seibel and McDonald did not return telephone calls and messages from a reporter seeking comment.
Maupin's first lawsuit against the system, filed in 2005, was related to her work at Centennial High School, where she taught English between 2003 and 2005 before she was transferred to Wilde Lake High School.
In the first suit, Maupin, who is black, accused Centennial staff members of making racist comments and harassing her.
School officials denied the accusations.
During a trial in Howard County Circuit Court in June and July of 2007, a jury found that Maupin had been subjected to a "race-based hostile work environment."
School officials initially appealed the verdict, but eventually dropped the appeal and in April reached a $253,979 settlement with Maupin.
user comments (15)
user jhelfrich says...
Having been a student at Wilde Lake during the period Maupin alleges she was discriminated against, I can tell you that we all believe this to be a laughing matter. She has a reputation for being a harsh teacher, and once word got out about her suit against Centennial we all knew why. She sees demons where there are none. The administration isn't docking her pay because she's black. They're docking it because she's a terrible teacher, spending more time building up a lawsuit than focusing on her students.
True bravery isn't litigious, Michelle.
Posted 2:57 PM, 08.28.08
user wildecat says...
Well I was a student in her class and the administrators were in our class almost everyday last year. They didn't do that to any of my other teachers so Ms. Maupin is right. They were not treating her right. Ms. Maupin is not harsh. Mrs. McDonald is HORRIBLE. I don't know who is saying bad stuff about Ms. Maupin she was always good to us. Mr. Whitaker is a bad principal it wasn't fair for him to offer money to us to snitch on our friends last year. They are all just a bunch of haters!! Ms. Maupin is a good teacher and they should have left her alone. I hope they get what they deserve.
Posted 10:45 PM, 08.29.08
user mikehawk says...
having taken maupin for english in 2006 I completely agree with the above comments, Maupin is the satan of the english department. Having had Seibel for class before he was an administrator and knowing Whitaker on a personal basis I can say that they are very fair and unbiased and would never discipline a teacher if their actions weren't warranted. Their actions, however, do not seem stringent enough, as Maupin deserves to be fired rather than reprimanded. If anyone were to sit in on just one of her classes they would completely understand as she treats even the most talented students as if they were pieces of garbage. Please get Maupin fired and stop her from the school system's time and money over frivolous lawsuits.
Posted 12:33 PM, 08.30.08
user tvleaveme says...
I don't understand what Ms. Maupin did that was wrong. She dont have to let them keep picking on her. The other person is telling the truth. I don't know why they did it but it wasnt right. If you know Whitaker on a personal basis you are going to take up for him. What did she do that she should be fired for? Seibel is only fair if he like you. I have never had to go to Mr. Whitaker so I don't know about him. Ms. Maupin was nice to us she is the only teacher I had who did student of the month. She never treated us like garbage.
Posted 10:58 PM, 08.30.08
user says...
This is ridiculous! I was a student of hers I think 4 years ago. My mom just told me that she is suing the school again, I couldn't believe it! I don't know what those other people are talking about because she was a horrible teacher! I was a great student I got all A's and was always on the honor roll, and even I have to say that class was a complete joke! First of all she never was happy and enthusiastic about teaching she would sit at her desk and instruct us to do book work every day, she would put up an overhead once in a while to copy it word for word then back to book work. If you were confused about something and wanted to see her after class or during her office hours, that was out of the question. I went to her desk several times during class to ask a question and she would say sit down and don't ask her during class. So I went after class and she said that all her office hours were used for grading papers and she didn't have time to talk to me!!! If you fell behind then you failed and she didn't care. She would yell at us constantly that we weren't trying hard enough and we needed to be better students!!! She never learned any of our names she would just point at us to answer any questions she asked, she just was awful! Then there is the problem that she was absent for 3 weeks!!!! We had a new sub pretty much every day and didn't learn anything, not that we were learning anything in the first place, but it was just more busy work!!! We would walk in the class everyday wondering if she would show up. After 3 weeks she was there, we asked her and she got pissed. She yelled at us saying it's her person and private life and we shouldn't butt into it. Then right before class ended she told us that she was sick, uhh for 3 weeks you were sick??? After that she had many more absences well over a month all put together!!! She never smiled and laughed or cared for anything. I just dreaded that class. I was able to pull off a B and the majority of the students got D's. I mean years after year of students with D's is saying that it's something wrong with the teacher not the students. If she felt that she was being harassed it was because she took off school way too much and she had a bad reputation with suing centennial. As for the student that left a comment above, they reason teachers and administrators were in the class everyday was because students went complaining to Whitaker and Siebel about how terrible she was. After so many complaints they have to monitor her teaching habits. Wilde Lake hired not because she was a good teacher but they had to because during the law suit she is required to be placed somewhere, they board picked wilde lake and we got stuck with her. No one wants to hire a teacher that is suing the school board!!! I just had to register to this site just to comment on this article. I just had to tell everyone that she is crazy and paranoid.
Posted 3:17 PM, 08.31.08
user hocobubble says...
I did not attend Wilde Lake, nor do I live near it or send my children there. I simply work with the public in Columbia, and still, even I have heard some wild tales about this supposed "teacher." Stories ranging from texting in class on her cell phone while students are left to self teach to complaining about more vacation time after trips to the Carribbean. What I do not understand is how an advanced community like Columbia could sit back and let a an obviously unencouraging, self-righteous individual teach our children in what is supposed to be one of the best school systems in the country. If we are paying tax dollars to pay teachers who so generously give not only their school hours to the kids but also large chunks of their personal time, as many teachers do, then GREAT! But when my children aren't seeing any of my tax dollars hard at work because "a teacher" attempts to not only NOT TEACH (which teaching does require looking up from one's desk time to time)but they also attempt to leech even more away from the schools, then someone.... the principal, the super intendent ..... has to DEMAND that enough is enough. A former student is right in saying that if complaints come in then the faculty must investigate what is really going on. If they can't find anything wrong with the scenario then an apology it so be involved, but in this case it seems like they have justification to their actions. Ms. Maupin, if you are looking for a quick buck then play the lottery and leave the tax money meant for the better good of our students alone. Columbia, stop worrying about what others think, be less polictically correct, and stand up for what is right. This community wasn't built by people tip-toeing around the truth, and this matter can't be left in the whispers of our community.
Posted 5:36 PM, 08.31.08
user says...
A lot of what is being said about Ms.Maupin in these postings is not true. I worked with Ms. Maupin at Centennial. I can tell you that not only is she a good teacher, but she spent a lot of her personal time after school working with the students and the African American student group at Centennial. She worked with the PCBS at Centennial as well. So the reports about her not assisting students is COMPLETELY FALSE. After I read the post that said that Michelle took three weeks off during the school year, I called some of our coworkers and asked them if they remember that happening because I did not remember that. None of our colleagues remembered that happening either, so I have to say that is a false statement as well. I can tell you that teachers have to have authorization to take off that much school time off. If it did happen; she had to have permission to do so and remain employed. There is no lawsuit in the world that would stop an entity from firing someone for abandoning their job for three weeks. So if you are going to post something please make sure that it is the truth.
What happened at Centennial was an unfortunate incident. While we did not agree with Michelle's decision to sue the school system, I don't know what else she could have done because those involved in the unfortunate incidents would not let up. I am not African American; I have never had to walk in her shoes. We are glad that there was a resolution to the previous case. There was so much speculation about who was telling the truth and who was not. A jury said that Michelle was telling the truth and that should be the end of that. So those of you talking about what happened at Centennial need to stop. Our community is over it and we have moved on.
Columbia SHOULD stand up for what is right. I got to know Michelle. I believe that this has less to do with money than it does with proving someone wrong.
If the administrators at Wilde Lake were stupid enough to harass Michelle, the community should take a close look at who is running their school. After speaking to some teachers I know at Wilde Lake, I have heard that Whitaker was absent from work for most of the school year last year; they say that he always comes up with some kind of excuse for not being in building. The teachers I spoke to there said that Whitaker is out of the building more than he is there. Apparently, for the time that he was out one of his assistant principals was put in charge of the school. The teachers I spoke to said that most of the students there did not know who he was when he returned. I don't know Mr. Seibel, but the teachers I spoke to said that Seibel is a brown-noser. Why should good principals leave the school system to have people like Whitaker and Seibel to remain.
Also, some of the people who are posting to this site that claim that they are young people are obviously adults. Young people and kids don't use words like litigious, stringent, or unbiased. Have a backbone and post using your true identity. Be as brave as Ms. Maupin.
Posted 9:07 PM, 09.01.08
user bballplaya2090 says...
Nobody really likes Seibel or Whitaker. Whitaker thinks that ice cream or a pep rally will make us like him. He is rude and he has favorites that get to dress anyway they want to. Get 'em Ms. Maupin!!!
Posted 9:45 PM, 09.01.08
user gorilla says...
^Ms. Maupin is definitely not suing so that you can dress how you want.^
Maupin says, "I don't know why I can't just come to work and do my job like everyone else." The truth is that no one else knows why she cant just do her job like everyone else.
I had her last year for English 12, 6th period. She showed less interest in the subject than some of the less motivated students. She spent 90% of the year sitting at her desk, rarely getting up to adress the class. Whenever she did get up, it was to read something off the board or off a transparency. She never elaborated on directions, and if someone asked a question, she would mock them.
Her class was not an enviroment wear learning or investigation was encouraged, it was a place where critical thinking was not tolerated.
It's also ironic that Maupin's lawsuits dealt with racism, because she is one of the most racist teachers i have encountered.
Posted 3:05 PM, 09.03.08
user ccaz10 says...
I would like to let everyone know that she is the single most ridiculous person I have ever met. I am currently a student at Wilde Lake and had Ms. Maupin. Yesterday, she was fired and escorted from the building for reasons that I am not aware of at this time. I can personally vouch for the fact that she is the WORST teacher I have ever had and I have had some pretty awful ones. Not only did she have ineffective teaching methods, but she simply lacked intelligence. For example, she mispelled INDEPENDENCE.. TWICE.. on the SAME BOARD. Also, we were having a class discussion on the first winter endured by the settlers on the Mayflower, this was her idea for why they were so unprepared, "Well, I think that since England has the seasons at opposite times that we do, they weren't ready for it"... last time I checked England and the U.S. were both in the northern hemisphere and have the same seasons. The administration had every right to dock her pay, half the time she didn't even teach the class.. she just sat in the back and listened to her Ipod and texted. It's not as if the students are sorry to see her go, when I walked into to english this morning people screaming and jumping for joy. Maybe now that she's gone we can actually learn something.
Posted 7:49 PM, 09.26.08
user bballplaya2090 says...
Ms. Maupin didn't misspell anything on the board. She don't even write on the board. We never had that discussion in class. We finished that early literature unit a couple of weeks ago. We are working on the Declaration of Independence so whoever wrote that is a liar. That must be an adult like a student writing stupid stuff about Ms. Maupin again. Ms. Maupin was the best. We hate Mr. Whitaker and Mr. Seibel we hope they get fired. No one is happy that Ms. Maupin is not there. She was nice to us.
Posted 2:28 PM, 09.30.08
user bballplaya2090 says...
Teacher who sued county placed on leave
Maupin: 'I haven't done anything wrong'
By Jennifer Broadwater
jbroadwater@patuxent.com
Posted 9/29/08
A Wilde Lake High School English teacher who has twice sued the Howard County school system has been placed on paid administrative leave, the teacher said.
In an interview with the Howard County Times, Michelle Maupin said Wilde Lake administrators informed her at the end of the school day Sept. 25 that she was being placed on paid administrative leave and escorted her off the property, but failed to tell her why.
Administrators directed her to remove her personal belongings from her classroom, she said, adding that she is unsure of the length of the leave.
"I'd like to know exactly what the deal is," Maupin said. "I'm not concerned because I know I haven't done anything wrong."
When asked about Maupin's status with the school system, spokeswoman Patti Caplan said Maupin was still employed.
Maupin, who is black, sued the school system and administrators at Centennial High School in 2005, claiming that she had been subjected to racial harassment at the Ellicott City school. School officials denied the accusations.
After a trial in June and July 2007, a jury found that Maupin had been subjected to a "race-based hostile work environment."
School officials initially appealed the verdict, but eventually dropped the appeal and in April reached a $253,979 settlement with Maupin.
In late August, Maupin filed a second lawsuit against the school board and staff at Wilde Lake High School, claiming that she is the target of unwarranted retaliatory actions stemming from the first lawsuit.
A letter Maupin received from central office administrator Daniel Michaels Sept. 26 informed her that she could schedule an appointment "to discuss the incidents and/or allegations" behind the forced period of leave.
"While on administrative leave you are not to enter Wilde Lake High School or be on school grounds without the consent of the principal or my office," the letter states. "You are directed to restrict any contact with the faculty, parents, or students of Wide Lake High School."
Maupin's attorney, Dawn Martin, called the action "outrageous."
"It's doing tremendous damage to her reputation," she said. "All her students think she's been fired. ... The whole town thinks she's been fired."
Martin sent a letter to school officials last week demanding a written reason for placing Maupin on directed leave.
"This action appears to be yet one more act of retaliation for Ms. Maupin's previous, successful racial discrimination lawsuit against the Howard County School Board and individual defendants and more specifically, in retaliation for the pending lawsuit that Ms. Maupin filed against the School Board," Martin's letter states.
Posted 2:29 PM, 09.30.08
user craftlaughter says...
CCAZ10 seems to suggest that the teacher may have been wrong for suggesting that perhaps the Pilgrims were not prepared for winter here. I assure you that winter in northern states is not the same as winter in our southern states. Also, based upon the BBall posts, it appears that Ms. Maupin will have another issue to take up with a court of law. It makes a lot of sense to just leave this woman alone and allow her to do her job.
Posted 8:44 AM, 10.01.08
user ellicottcitizen says...
It is a pathetic day when all you have to do is have a different skin color to get away with yet another litigious attempt to make someone rich beyond their wildest dreams. Race, when used in any context anymore, has a way of stifling reason and accountabliity
Posted 11:13 AM, 10.01.08
user intheknow says...
She is indeed bringing that second lawsuit. She doesn't need your encouragement. And the "them" she is suing is you. Your tax money paid her first quarter million, and now is paying her salary while she doesn't teach your kids.
I've worked at Wilde Lake for six years, and I've never seen anybody harass or mistreat Michelle Maupin. But I have seen her not teaching while she was drawing a paycheck. And I don't know anyone, herself included, who could or would dispute it.
Students: you aren't damaging the principal of your school when you cry about how much you hate him. You damage yourself. Think you look good to your college admissions officer, or your employer?
Centennial: please look up "hearsay" in a dictionary. When you complain about your pay, think about how much money is tied up resolving this situation. She drives a BMW. What do you drive?
Posted 10:40 PM, 10.01.08
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