Scott High School principal accused of sexual harassment by former teacher

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Dr. Carnell Smith, the principal of Scott High School, has been accused of sexual harassment by a teacher who recently filed a lawsuit against Dr. Smith and the Toledo City School District Board of Education.

According to court documents, a former Scott High School teacher accused Dr. Smith of sexually harassing her from August 2017 to April 2023. The teacher was hired by the district in 2004 and worked at Scott High School until the end of 2022-2023. school year. For the 2023-2024 school year, plaintiff switched to TPS’s Virtual Academy.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges that the harassment began on or about August 17, 2017, when Dr. Smith took a photo of her feet/legs, sent her the photo and said, “Have a great school year!”

The plaintiff alleges that Dr. Smith continued to make her feel uncomfortable by commenting on her appearance and visiting her classroom more than necessary. She claims the principal’s comments became more extreme and frequent during the 2022-2023 school year.

According to the lawsuit, Dr. Smith and the plaintiff in March 2023 argued over an email the plaintiff sent. Dr. Smith then allegedly yelled at her in front of other employees, prompting her to email her union representative.

Shortly after contacting the union representative, the plaintiff spoke with the Acting Superintendent of Human Resources at TPS about the incident. The accuser also gave examples of times she was sexually harassed by Dr. Smith.

On April 13, 2023, the plaintiff filed a formal complaint against Dr. Smith, which detailed some of the sexual harassment. Examples from the document include Dr. Smith saying she should “wear more skirts” or “wear a dress and heels.”

She also stated in the formal complaint that he made comments to another teacher speculating about her sexual activities/sexual history.

During the investigation into the formal complaint, Dr. Smith continued to work as director. Plaintiff claims that she was forced to continue working with him during the investigation, even though she stated that she did not feel comfortable working for him.

After the school year, she asked if she could transfer to another school.

According to the lawsuit, the investigation was turned over to a third party for determination who made the decision. After reviewing the investigation report, the decision maker concluded that she had been sexually harassed during the 2022-2023 school year and that Dr. Smith had violated board policy.

After the decision, she attempted to return to Scott High School, assuming Dr. Smith would no longer be there. Dr. However, Smith was not placed on administrative leave or disciplinary action and also returned for the 2023-2024 school year.

Because Dr. Smith was not removed, she decided not to return and was transferred to TPS’s Virtual Academy.

In November 2023, the claimant was informed of the board’s decision regarding the disciplinary measures. He was outraged, stating that the board “did not seriously pursue the case against Director Smith and requested only a minor disciplinary action against Director Smith.”

According to the lawsuit, the board advised Dr. Smith to participate in the TPS Adult Social Emotional Learning Program and nothing more.

The plaintiff claims in the lawsuit that she makes less money at the virtual academy than she did when she worked at Scott High School.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff requests that the court award just damages as compensation for her transfer of work, compensation for her loss of the opportunity to be gainfully employed, for future earnings, for humiliation, embarrassment and loss of reputation. She is also seeking back pay with interest, damages and attorney fees.

The full 15-page lawsuit can be seen below.

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