Former Colorado middle-school dean alleges she was fired for protesting district’s book ban as racist

The former dean of students at Elbert County’s Elizabeth Middle School has filed state and federal discrimination charges against the Elizabeth School District, alleging she was fired because she called the district’s contentious book ban racist.

The law firm Newman McNulty filed the charges this week with the Colorado Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of the former dean LeEllen Condry, a Black woman.

“The book ban in the Elizabeth School District, and the firing of Ms. Condry for opposing it, is something out of the dystopian science fiction novel,” attorney Andy McNulty said in a news release. “Unfortunately, fiction is becoming reality in America, where politicians are using their power to erase our history and openly discriminate against marginalized communities. We must push back against these fascist actions, and we are proud to stand with Ms. Condry in doing so.”

Superintendent Dan Snowberger confirmed Condry no longer works for the Elizabeth School District, which he attributed to “part of a reduction in force involving several staff members and which was compelled by a fiscal exigency.”

When asked about the discrimination allegations, Snowberger said, “We are unaware of such an allegation and find it interesting such a complaint was provided to the media prior to the district.”

Condry was hired in June. In August, she learned about a policy the school board was undertaking that restricted students’ access to “highly sensitive books.”

The removed books primarily featured Black, brown and LGBTQ people, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado said, including “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, “Beloved” and “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini and “#Pride: Championing LGBTQ Rights” by Rebecca Felix.

The ACLU of Colorado sued the Elizabeth School District over the book policy in December.

“I felt that the book ban was trying to erase my and my students’ cultural heritages,” Condry wrote in the discrimination charge.

When the school board requested feedback on the policy, Condry said she wrote a letter explaining how the book ban was unethical and racist.

“I was passionate, but professional, when protesting the racism of the ban,” Condry said.

Shortly after sending her letter, Condry said Snowberger sent an email to district employees saying that some staff members misinterpreted the request for feedback, and that calling the board’s actions “racist” crossed the lines of ethical and professional behavior.

“Superintendent Snowberger stated that this feedback would lead to ‘further disciplinary action,’ ” Condry wrote. “Superintendent Snowberger made it clear that I, and my fellow educators, ‘work at the pleasure’ of the ESD Board. It was clear to me that I would be retaliated against for protesting racism within ESD.”

Over the next month, Condry said she continued to do her job, which included interfering when students used racial slurs or told Hispanic students to go back to their country.

In October, Condry said she was called into a meeting and terminated. She said she was told her termination was due to budgetary constraints, but said she saw the district post a similar position to hers after she left that paid $15,000 to $20,000 more than her salary.

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