An Ohio teacher is taking her school district to court after being fired for allegedly using sick days to attend a concert in Nashville. Eileen Washburn, who taught English at Lakota West High School in the Lakota Local School District, says her termination violated her constitutional rights. The school district, however, claims her dismissal was justified.
Washburn filed a lawsuit in Butler County, accusing the district’s board of education of wrongful termination. The school board has denied any wrongdoing, filing a response through their attorney Erin Wessendorf-Wortman, who said the claims “fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.”
The incident dates back to February when Washburn used sick leave on the 8th and 9th. According to her lawsuit, the district accused her of falsifying her sick leave after learning she had mentioned to colleagues that she planned to go to Tennessee for a concert with her son and his friend. One colleague even claimed Washburn said she “didn’t want to waste $600” on tickets she had already purchased.
Washburn, however, argues that she had a legitimate reason to miss work. She says she provided a letter from her doctor explaining she was experiencing side effects after restarting a medication. Because her absence was medically approved, she believed her reason for missing work didn’t matter.
Things escalated when Rob Kramer, the district’s Executive Director of Human Resources, allegedly questioned Washburn about her medical condition and prescriptions. According to the lawsuit, Washburn refused to share more details, calling it a personal matter. Kramer then allegedly accused her of lying and claimed her doctor was unethical, stating he would push for her termination.
In April, Washburn was told the district was considering firing her. After a hearing and review, Referee Gregory S. Page sided with the district, saying the evidence and testimonies from colleagues showed Washburn had falsified her sick leave. One of her coworkers, Sally Barker, testified that Washburn told her she didn’t want to lose $600 on a concert. Another colleague, Courtney Jacobs, said Washburn mentioned taking the boys to a concert and possibly visiting a college since her husband couldn’t make the trip.
On October 28, the school board officially terminated Washburn’s contract, after months of unpaid leave during the investigation. Washburn now argues the punishment was unfair, claiming other district employees faced little to no consequences for similar behavior.
In her lawsuit, Washburn is asking to get her job back, along with back pay, benefits, and seniority. She also wants compensation for attorney’s fees. Washburn maintains her innocence, insisting that the district treated her more harshly than others for using sick leave.
