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Three Ohio County Teachers Allege Sex, Gender Harassment in Civil Lawsuit Against Bridge Street Middle Principal

Ohio-County-BOE-lawsuit

WHEELING — Three Ohio County middle school teachers have filed a sex- and gender-based harassment lawsuit against Bridge Street Middle School Principal Joseph Kolb for allegedly creating a hostile work environment.

The civil lawsuit — filed Dec. 21 in Ohio County Circuit Court — also names as defendants the Ohio County Board of Education, Superintendent Kim Miller and Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones for allegedly failing to properly investigate the teachers’ accusations and also for failing to protect them from alleged retaliation.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of teachers Lindsay Ammirante, Autumn Troullos and Rachel Miller by attorney Mark Gaydos of Kingwood, West Virginia.

“We certainly took a look at what happened, and found it to be shocking,” Gaydos said Monday. “Our representation is based on their allegations being so terrible.”

The board suspended Kolb from his job for the final five weeks of the 2017-18 school year based on some of those allegations, but he was returned to the position at the start of the current school year after school district officials allegedly told Ammirante and Miller their complaints were found “not to meet the criteria and definition of harassment, sexual harassment, retaliation or hostile work environment.”

A message left for Kolb Monday afternoon with a secretary at Bridge Street Middle School was not immediately returned.

Jones said Monday he and school district officials cannot discuss pending legal matters, and that all comment would come from their attorneys.

The school district, Jones said, has retained the Fitzsimmons Law Firm and Dinsmore and Shohl, both of Wheeling, in the case.

“I don’t know what their position will be,” Gaydos said of Ohio County Schools. “There have been no scheduling conference or deadlines set. Those should come after an answer has been filed.”

Kolb has “a long and continued history of harassment, abuse and sexual discrimination,” the lawsuit alleges. It also recounts instances of alleged retaliation by Kolb against the teachers that filed complaints against him.

The first accusation is listed as happening on Oct. 27, 2017, when Kolb allegedly attempted to open a bathroom door while teacher Rachel Miller was using the restroom.

The lawsuit states that after Miller exited the restroom, Kolb “informed her in a joking sarcastic manner that, ‘Oops. I thought it was Autumn (Troullos). Were you scared?”

According to the lawsuit, the matter was reported by Miller to the Ohio County Board of Education. The lawsuit indicates no official investigation was done, no official paperwork was offered to Miller, and no action was taken against Kolb.

Kolb’s harassment of Troullos was “more persistent and severe,” the lawsuit states. It recounts a number of suspect stares and lewd, profane comments aimed her way.

Despite Troullos reporting Kolb’s alleged actions, “representatives of the Ohio County Board of Education failed to do a formal investigation,” according to the lawsuit. And after filing complaints with the board, Troullos “was forced to move grades and teach a different grade over her objection,” the lawsuit states.

During a meeting after Troullos changed grade levels, Kolb allegedly said, “That change may not happen because apparently if you cry hard enough at the board office, they give you what you want.”

Following her complaints to the board, Kolb allegedly started to repeatedly come into her classroom throughout the day. He said nothing during the visits, only to ask if “Ammirante ever did any work,” according to the lawsuit.

Troullos was allegedly told by the board of education that Kolb had every right to sit in on her classes, according to the lawsuit. She also was told she could transfer to Triadelphia Middle School to get away from Kolb, according to the lawsuit.

Ammirante is a relative of Kolb’s ex-wife, the lawsuit states. After his separation and divorce, Kolb allegedly “commenced a campaign to harass and intimidate Ammirante,” both on and off school property.

He allegedly sent her harassing and profane text messages from his county-issued cell phone and visited her classroom more often than any other teacher’s, according to the lawsuit. He also singled her out “and treated her differently than other teachers.”

Ammirante filed a formal harassment complaint in April 2018 with the board of education, and met multiple times with Jones and Ohio County Schools Human Resources Officer Susan Nolte, according to the lawsuit. Miller also filed formal harassment charges at that time.

In May 2018, according to the lawsuit, the board informed Ammirante that it “could not take any action for events occurring outside of school and that (Jones) had met with (Kolb) about his continued harassment.”

Ammirante was told by Jones and Nolte it would have been different if she had called the police on Kolb, and was advised to seek a restraining order against him, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleges that Jones met with Kolb prior to meeting with Ammirante and informed him of the charges filed against him, and also who filed them.

That led to further harassment and intimidation against Ammirante as an assistant principal at Bridge Street, allegedly on Kolb’s orders, sat in Ammirante’s class throughout the day, according to the lawsuit. When Jones learned of this behavior, he reportedly said, “That’s the stuff we need to know. That’s something tangible that we can use.”

Jones and others from the school administration assured Ammirante she should fear no retaliation from Kolb for coming forward.

However, the following day, Kolb allegedly confronted Ammirante at a little league baseball game, according to the lawsuit.

“Don’t worry. You’re going to get yours,” the lawsuit says Kolb told Ammirante as he coached along the first base line. “It’s coming. You want to go to the board office, you’ll get yours. Go file that paperwork. You’ll all get yours. It’s coming to all of you.”

Ammirante filed a criminal complaint with the Wheeling Police Department regarding Kolb’s alleged harassment. Ammirante took the completed police report to the board of education office.

Based on the police report, the board had Kolb escorted from Bridge Street Middle School by a police officer, with Jones witnessing the removal, according to the lawsuit.

During the final five weeks of the 2017-18 school year, Bridge Street Middle School was without a head principal, according to the lawsuit. Parents and students were never notified as to the reason of Kolb’s departure.

According to the lawsuit, Jones and Nolte informed Ammirante “that the rumors regarding Kolb were hurtful to him and that having to deal with said rumors was a form of punishment.” They also stated Kolb would “have to jump through a lot of hoops in order to return back in the fall.”

No details of his punishment were given.

The lawsuit states Kolb was paid for those five weeks, and was given a summer school principal job while on administrative leave.

Over the summer, Ammirante and Miller received a formal letter from Jones telling them their complaints were found “not to meet the criteria and definition of harassment, sexual harassment, retaliation or hostile work environment.” Troullos never received any formal response to her investigation.

According to the lawsuit, Troullos was forced to take a leave of absence because of the alleged harassment, and Ammirante transferred to another school.

Among other allegations, the lawsuit also indicates that neither Jones nor Nolte offered any of the plaintiffs paperwork concerning their rights under Title IX.

The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial for compensatory damages for psychological and emotional distress; punitive damages; a requirement that the Ohio County Board of Education “take effective steps to prevent sex-based discrimination and harassment;” and costs and fees.

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