Ex-Wayland School Official Sues District, Easy Over MCAD Allegations

WAYLAND, MA — The former director of student services in Wayland is suing the school committee and Omar Easy for defamation and breach of contract, according to court records.

Richard Whitehead, who is now the student services director at Lincoln-Sudbury High School, claims in the suit that Easy and the school committee breached the terms of a separation agreement that led to Whitehead's resignation in June 2022.

According to the lawsuit, Whitehead began negotiating his exit after he learned Easy wanted to fire him in early 2022 "for reasons unknown." The suit says Whitehead did not know why Easy became dissatisfied with his job performance.

Easy was placed on indefinite leave by the school committee in February, and shortly after he filed a complaint against Wayland school officials with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. In the MCAD filing, Easy said he was "presented with allegations" that Whitehead had discriminated against a Black district employee.

In his suit, Whitehead said he was never told that he had been accused of discrimination. He also alleges that Easy's MCAD filing breached the terms of the separation agreement, which included a non-disparagement clause. The suit says Easy didn't follow the district's own policy of reporting racial discrimination complaints to the district's Title IX officer.

Wayland Patch has reached out to both Easy and Whitehead's attorneys for additional comment.

The lawsuit is seeking compensation of about $2 million between the defamation and breach of contract allegations due to Whitehead suffering "severe emotional distress and damage to reputation," according to court records.

Easy remains on leave to this day, and the Wayland School Committee in April selected former Newton superintendent David Fleishman as the district's interim superintendent for the next year.

Read the full lawsuit here: