Former principal tentatively settles discrimination lawsuit
A former West Covina Unified School District principal has reached a “conditional” settlement in her discrimination lawsuit against the Los Angeles-area school district, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
Candace Leuthold alleges that she was forced to resign in 2022 because of sexual orientation and gender discrimination and harassment, the Valley Tribune reported.
Among her allegations, Leuthold claimed that:
- Assistant Superintendent of Education Services Denise Knutsen told her that she needed to wear a suit or a skirt, even though men holding the same positions were not required to wear suits
- When she proposed two classes for the spring 2022 semester, Introduction to Sex and Gender Roles and Introduction to LGBTQ Studies, Knutsen rejected both ideas and insinuated that Leuthold, as a gay person, “had an agenda because of her sexual orientation.”
West Covina Unified attorneys denied Leuthold’s allegations, adding that her claims were barred by the statute of limitations, the Valley Tribune reported.
The terms of her settlement were not released, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.