A judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a white teacher who claims she was fired for advocating for Black students.
Sarah Dickhausen wrote her master’s thesis on how white teachers can better serve Black students. At Open World Learning Community (OWL), the only secondary school in St. Paul Public Schools that hosts more white students than students of color, she became a pillar of support. Dozens of students even walked out in protest when they found out her contract was not renewed.
Dickhausen claimed the principal, David Gundale, who is also white, was racist and targeted her. In a meeting, Dickhausen alleged the principal told her OWL “is a white school, it will continue to be white, and there is nothing wrong with being white.”
She also said the students of color were treated drastically different from white students at the school. White students are allegedly allowed to roam the halls freely and were given more opportunities for field trips. In some cases, their grades were even raised. Students of color, however, were treated with disdain. According to the educator, students of color were bullied by both white students and staff and suspended for minor issues. OWL students of color were suspended around 3.5 times more than white students.
Ramsey County District Judge Robyn Millenacker ruled, however, that Dickhausen failed to prove she was fired for anything other than poor performance.
In an email written to parents, she stated the number of students coming to her for support may have hurt her ability to teach.
“I blame myself for not being able to find the balance in teaching to my students and being supportive to my students,” she wrote.
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