Ex-Parsippany Assistant Principal Claims Discrimination In Lawsuit

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A former assistant principal of Parsippany High School is suing the district, alleging that the district's decision not to renew her contract was motivated by race discrimination.

Celena Spencer, who was hired as the assistant principal for the high school in the 2021-2022 school year, filed a lawsuit against the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, along with unnamed "John Does."

The claim, filed on Sept. 15 in the state Superior Court in Morristown, demands compensatory damages as well as attorney's costs, front and back pay, and any other relief that the Court deems to be just and equitable.

According to the lawsuit, Spencer's relationship with former high school principal Keith Bush deteriorated after several encounters, including when she reported an incident he had with a Black student and a complaint a teacher had about a Native American display at the school.

Spencer reported that she was informed near the end of the year that the district had decided not to renew her contract, despite previously receiving only favorable comments from supervisors on her job performance.

"They told Plaintiff she was great at her job, and Bush even stated at one point Plaintiff was so good she would be running the school one day," the lawsuit stated.

Spencer, who was the only Black administrative leader at the high school, stated that in or around December 2021, a teacher contacted Spencer and stated that he was offended by Native American iconography that existed within the school.

According to the lawsuit, there is Native American iconography throughout the high school, which includes a large image of the head of a Native American individual.

Spencer stated that she contacted Bush to report the complaint and that she would follow his lead on whatever the decision was. According to the lawsuit, Bush directed her to take down the display, but the teacher who designed it was outraged and refused.

According to Spencer, her understanding is that the teacher then spoke with Bush, and then, in or around January 2022, Bush told Spencer not to take the display down.

However, after the teacher complained about the iconography, others began a Facebook post complaining about the potential removal of Native American symbols from the school in or around January 2022.

One of the posts specifically stated, “This is what happens when people who didn’t grow up here and go through our system get to a place of power.”

According to the lawsuit, Spencer added that she believes the comment implied she was an outsider and was responsible for the removal.

At the same time, numerous Black students contacted Spencer, complaining about racism in the district and accusing white pupils of using a racist slur. According to the lawsuit, the students had complained to other district officials, but nothing was done to stop it.

Spencer confided in Bush, explaining what the students had told her and suggesting forming a Black Student Union (BSU) to address some of the Black student’s concerns.

Bush informed Spencer he would write a letter on behalf of the BSU, but Black students told Spencer they weren't comfortable with Bush sending out an email about their problems.

"In or around April of 2022, a meeting was held with Black students at the school, and they said they did not feel heard, but were glad that they had a Black principal in Plaintiff," the lawsuit stated.

The final incident occurred in either March or April 2022 and was between a Black special needs student and Bush. According to the lawsuit, Bush got into the student's face, and when the student asked if Spencer was going to help him, Bush told him "no" and that he was the principal.

Spencer said that she reported the incident to a school resource officer.

"After the incidents outlined above in January, February, March and April 2022, Bush’s attitude and conduct toward Plaintiff changed dramatically," the suit said.

According to the claim, Bush no longer complimented her job performance and spoke with her very sparingly.

When Spencer was notified that her contract would not be renewed in May 2022, Bush, Assistant Superintendent Denis Mulroony, and a union official were there. While Bush read from the notepad, the union representative stated on multiple occasions, “This is ridiculous,” the lawsuit said.

Spencer claimed she was told her contract would not be renewed for another year because she did not maintain communication with Vicky Santana, the English second language supervisor, and for an incident involving a student video in September 2021.

According to the lawsuit, a student recorded an objectionable video, and the district confiscated the student's phones, turned them over to the resource officer, and contacted the student's parents.

After speaking with Santana, however, she informed Spencer that she had never told anyone that Spencer did not interact with her.

Spencer also alleges that no one had ever chastised her for the way she handled the video situation.

"At the time, no one told Plaintiff she did anything incorrect regarding the video and Plaintiff was never reprimanded for her conduct regarding the video. However, on the May 6, 2022, meeting, Bush told Plaintiff that she did not handle the video situation correctly," the lawsuit said.

Spencer said she has still never been advised about what she did incorrectly in that situation.

In response to the complaint, Joan F. Benos, the Chief of Staff and Public Information Officer for the school district, told Patch that the district has no comment on the matter.