Former Edgewater High School math teacher Audrey Dudek is suing Orange County Public Schools based on claims of being fired in 2013 for dating a black man and associating with black co-workers. Dudek is white and is now married to then-boyfriend Stacey Cobb.
The lawsuit states that Dudek was fired on the basis of her gender, race, and the individuals she associated with, citing “emotional pain” and “reputational injury” in hopes for pay compensation.
The sequence of events supporting these allegations went like this. Early in the 2011-2012 school year, principal Michelle Erickson met Dudek’s boyfriend Stacey. The principal appeared alarmed and uncomfortable with Cobb’s race, and Dudek notes in the lawsuit that principal Erickson treated her differently since the encounter.
After this incident, then-Vice Principal Anthony Serianni had an negative encounter with Dudek, forcing her to tears. After Dudek talked to one of the school’s black security guards about it, Serianni made a distasteful comment about Dudek associating with “those people”, refering to black staff members.
Dudek finally cites a racist talent show act that staff (including Serianni and Erickson) participated in, including “black face”, “weave hair extensions” and provocative depictions of stereotypical ‘black’ culture.
A spokeswoman for Orange County Public Schools released a statement, saying “The district denies all allegations of discrimination by Ms. Dudek” and “The district will not comment any further due to pending litigation”.