Former employee sues Ardmore Schools over racial discrimination

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One former employee of Ardmore City Schools in Oklahoma is ready to speak out about the racism she experienced while employed there. Veronica Taylor recently filed a federal lawsuit against Ardmore City Schools, citing racial discrimination. 

As initially covered by KTEN news, Ms. Taylor was employed as a school cafeteria manager for years when she was called a racial slur, which she reported. Meanwhile, the Ardmore City Schools superintendent Kim Holland has denied knowledge of any incidents with Ms. Taylor. 

According to Ms. Holland, “I’d say the two or three years that I worked with Veronica, she did a good job. I was not aware of any problems.”

However, things slowly changed, and Ms. Taylor was later targeted for allegedly improperly ordering cafeteria supplies, among other issues. Eventually she was demoted from manager to cook, although the school district offered to maintain her same pay rate.

At that point, Ms. Taylor knew things were amiss. In her complaint, she alleges that white coworkers were paid for eight hours of work, while Black employees were denied a half-hour each day. 

According to Ms. Taylor, “There’s a lot of hatred going on in Ardmore schools. There’s a lot of racial hatred, and somebody needs to say something.”

Determined to speak out

Since filing the lawsuit, Ms. Taylor has been a target in her hometown, where three of her children graduated from Ardmore City Schools. Her home was defaced by dog feces, which she believes is a threat against her for speaking out. 

But Ms. Taylor knows that the fight she’s in is worthwhile. “I love my job. I love serving children,” she said. Her goal for the lawsuit is to bring about justice.

Ardmore City Schools would not speak about Ms. Taylor’s lawsuit, as it is ongoing. However, the superintendent said she doesn’t believe racism exists within the school district. 

Meanwhile, Ms. Taylor vehemently disagrees, and she has vowed to fight to prove it. “As a woman of color and intellect, God has chosen me to speak out against Systemic Racism in America,” She told The Black Wall Street Times. “This particular School District is a cesspool of Supremacy and discrimination and someone must expose the truth.”