Art teacher Stacy Bailey filed a lawsuit in federal court in Dallas against the Mansfield Independent School District on May 8, 2018. She is seeking a jury trial, reinstatement at the elementary school where she taught, and possible damages.
At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Bailey presented a slide show to her fourth grade students as a way of introducing herself. Included in the slide show was a photograph of her partner and future wife Julie Vazquez. The women were pictured together wearing fish costumes from the movie “Finding Nemo.”
According to Ms. Bailey’s lawsuit, soon after she showed her students the image of her with her partner, the school principal told her that a parent had complained that she was promoting a “homosexual agenda” in class. Ms. Bailey was placed on administrative leave. The lawsuit states that she was asked to resign but refused.
In her lawsuit, Ms. Bailey says that her career was damaged when she was accused of showing inappropriate images to children and put on leave.
More Resources
Bailey v. Mansfield Independent School District et al
Texas Teacher Showed a Photo of Her Wife, and Was Barred From the Classroom, The New York Times, May 10, 2018
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com
