South Carolina School District Faces Lawsuit from First Black Female Superintendent.
The lawsuit claims the newly elected white board members harassed, bullied, and micromanaged Dr. Thomas.
Dr. Ameca Thomas, the first Black woman to serve as superintendent of Laurens County School District 55, filed a lawsuit against the district, accusing newly elected board members of creating a hostile work environment due to her race.
The lawsuit, obtained by Fox Carolina, claims the alleged discrimination started in January 2021 after new board members were elected. It accuses white board members of making “systematic weekly and monthly efforts” to gather complaints from employees and parents against Dr. Thomas, while publicly undermining Black administrators she had hired. The suit also alleges board members interfered with district operations, violated conduct policies, harassed and bullied Black employees, micromanaged, and undermined Dr. Thomas’ authority. The racial discrimination caused the 47-year-old Laurens County native significant stress, anxiety, and emotional distress, prompting her to report the incidents to human resources.
In 2023, Donald Gist, attorney for Dr. Thomas, responded to rumors circulating in the community about her possible termination as superintendent. In February 2023, supporters, community members, and activists rallied to defend her. Freedom Fighters praised her as “a stellar example of high academic achievement,” according to Fox Carolina. Board of Trustee member Anthony Carpenter stated, “It’s all about race. There is no doubt about it. She hasn’t done anything to deserve any of the accusations,” as reported by WYFF News 4.
Gist stated that the rumored termination from the district would be both illegal and a mistake.
Dr. Thomas, who held various roles in the public school district—including teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of testing and accountability, and assistant superintendent of teaching and learning—was appointed superintendent on July 1, 2020. In this position, she oversaw 9 schools, 5,442 students, and 400 teachers and staff. Throughout her tenure, she consistently received “proficient” and “exceptional” ratings in her annual reviews. Dr. Thomas also earned several honors, including Teacher of the Year, National Superintendents to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association, Superintendent of the Year by the South Carolina Alliance of Black School Educators, and the National District Administration 2024 Districts of Distinction Award.
The educator, a graduate of Laurens District 55 High School, resigned as superintendent in January 2024 after a three-hour school board meeting in February 2023. On January 16, 2024, Dr. Thomas transitioned to a new role as Chief Executive Officer of GLEAMNS Human Resources Commission, Inc., where she was unanimously elected to strengthen the commission’s programs and partnerships.
