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A former center college administrator within the Elizabeth College District filed a lawsuit Sunday towards the agricultural Colorado district, alleging that she was fired after she objected to the removing of 19 titles from college libraries final 12 months.
LeEllen Condry, who served as dean of scholars at Elizabeth Center College, mentioned she was terminated after three months as a result of she’s “a Black girl who dared to talk out towards the discriminatory e book ban,” in accordance with the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in federal district court docket, alleges that the college district violated Condry’s free speech rights and discriminated towards her based mostly on race and intercourse.
Elizabeth Superintendent Dan Snowberger mentioned in an emailed assertion Monday, “The district intends to defend itself in court docket, and the information will present that the person’s employment ended as a result of she did not take the steps to safe the required licensure for the place, and since the place was one in all a number of eradicated for cost-saving causes throughout a fiscal exigency.”
Condry’s lawsuit is the second filed towards the two,700-student district southeast of Denver referring to the removing of books from college libraries in 2024. Two college students, a chapter of the NAACP, and an authors group, all represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, sued the district over the removals a 12 months in the past. That lawsuit prompted the district to position pop-up adverts on its web site inviting guests to donate to assist cowl the district’s authorized charges.
The controversy over the books, that are again on college library cabinets whereas the ACLU case is pending, started within the fall of 2024 when the district in conservative-leaning Elbert County determined to drag 19 titles from college libraries due to content material college board members deemed inappropriate, overly graphic, or extremely delicate.
The eliminated books are primarily by or about LGBTQ individuals, individuals of coloration, or each. They embrace “The Bluest Eye” and “Beloved,” each by Toni Morrison, “The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas, and “You Ought to See Me in a Crown,” by Leah Johnson. All three authors are Black and their books function Black characters.
In August 2024, the Elizabeth district requested employees to supply “solutions-focused” suggestions to the college board concerning the potential e book removals. Condry wrote to the board, saying the removals could be unethical and racist, in accordance with the lawsuit.
On Aug. 27, Snowberger, one of many defendants named in Condry’s swimsuit, wrote in a letter to district workers, “[s]adly, some employees members did appear to misconceive the request [for feedback] and someway felt the request was a gap for harsh suggestions to the Board on their choice,” in accordance with the lawsuit.
He mentioned suggestions that known as the actions of the Board “racist” “crossed the traces {of professional} and moral habits,” in accordance with the swimsuit.
Condry was terminated on Oct. 1, 2024, three months into her 12-month contract with the district.
In response to earlier questions from Chalkbeat, Snowberger mentioned by e-mail in February that Condry’s termination was a part of a “Discount in Pressure involving a number of employees members and which was compelled by a Fiscal Exigency” — a time period for monetary issues. At the moment, he didn’t point out that Condry did not take steps to safe the required licensure for her place.
The district’s monetary issues, which led to about $500,000 in overspending, have been brought on by a properly failure, a water tower restore, hearth alarm fixes, and a big authorized settlement, amongst different issues, district officers mentioned at a September 2024 board assembly. The board president mentioned the authorized settlement was associated to a three-year-old case at Elizabeth Excessive College, however didn’t present extra particulars.
To assist avert a deficit, the college board lower Condry and several other different workers. They included a expertise worker, a courier, a upkeep worker, a well being tech, and transportation workers, Snowberger mentioned at an October 2024 assembly.
Condry’s lawsuit alleges that the district employed a center college worker in November 2024 who informally carried out the duties that Condry had carried out as dean. That worker was formally promoted to the dean place in July 2025, in accordance with the lawsuit
The truth that the college district employed the worker “into the identical position that had been occupied by Ms. Condry demonstrates the falsity of its asserted budgetary causes as a reliable justification for having fired Ms. Condry,” the lawsuit states.
In January, Condry filed a civil rights grievance over her firing with each the state and federal authorities. Her lawyer Andy McNulty mentioned the complaints to the Equal Employment Alternative Fee and the Colorado Civil Rights Division have been step one earlier than submitting a lawsuit. He mentioned by e-mail on Monday that the Colorado Civil Rights Division had issued a “proper to sue” discover in Condry’s case.
Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.
