What happens when the fired employee is elected to the board of trustees? That situation is unfolding at the Southside Independent School District, a San Antonio area district. Alma Rosa Guzman was fired by Southside ISD as maintenance manager in November, 2010. See San Antonio Express News report. Ms. Guzman was fired after working for Southside ISD for 30 years. She then filed a complaint with the EEOC alleging gender based discrimination.
She was elected to the board last May. Since then, she abstains from votes concerning her EEOC charge and does not join her board colleagues when they go into closed session about her case. The board has voted twice to reject her settlement demands, once for $850,000 and again for $600,000. She has received her right-to-sue letter. It was issued at her request. So, she will surely be filing suit very soon. There are sure to be many more such executive session votes…….