Kentucky teacher's assistant files lawsuit claiming she was fired in retaliation for reporting abuse

A teacher's aide in the Raceland-Worthington Independent School District filed a lawsuit in federal court in Ashland this week, alleging she was fired in retaliation for reporting threats and inappropriate behavior by a special education teacher toward students with special needs.

Laura Ashley Suttles' whistleblower lawsuit is the second federal lawsuit since February against the Raceland-Worthington School District related to special education teacher Erin Horn, who is accused of abusing students.

Whistleblower laws generally prohibit retaliation against employees who, in good faith, report allegations of abuse or violations of law to appropriate authorities.

Suttles's complaint states that she worked as a classroom assistant from 2021 until June of this year.

The lawsuit states that Suttles worked closely with Horn and observed her “grabbing children's arms in a violent and hurtful manner” and yelling at them, causing stress to the children.

Suttles' lawsuit says she reported the problems to her superiors, including her principal and the director of special needs, and was fired in retaliation.

She said she suffered loss of earnings, emotional distress and other damages and is now seeking compensation and punitive damages.

In a lawsuit filed in February in federal court in Ashland, parents of eight special needs students filed suit against Horn, claiming she was “verbally abusive and physically aggressive toward students.”

Superintendent Larry Coldiron told the Herald-Leader on Friday, “We have not received any information regarding a lawsuit filed by a para-educator in federal court.”

But in February, he told the Herald-Leader that a district investigation into the allegations in the lawsuit found no problems and that the teacher named in the lawsuit remains in the classroom.