The city of New York has agreed to pay a total of $2.1 million to three white Department of Education executives who were demoted under ex-Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza and replaced by allegedly less-qualified people of color. Lois Herrera, Jaye Murray, and Laura Feijoo reached a settlement of $700,000 each, three months after a judge ruled that they had evidence of race-based discrimination within the DOE. Their lawyer, Davida Perry, stated that the case is a clear indication that discrimination in educational institutions should not be tolerated, regardless of the race of those affected.
The lawsuit, filed five years ago, alleged that Carranza targeted “toxic whiteness” within the Department of Education. Herrera, who held a master’s degree from Harvard and was the CEO of the Office of Safety and Youth Development, was abruptly replaced by a “less-qualified” Black man, Mark Rampersant. Murray, the executive director of the Office of Counseling Support Programs, was demoted and had reduced duties. Feijoo, a Senior Supervising Superintendent, was replaced by a Black underling, Cheryl Watson-Harris, who did not have the necessary licensing at the time. Both Feijoo and Watson-Harris eventually left the DOE for other positions.
An internal DOE email revealed that the former chief operating officer, Ursulina Ramirez, mentioned that Mayor de Blasio was focused on diversity. De Blasio and Carranza both claimed in sworn depositions that they sought to hire the most qualified candidates who represented the city’s diversity. However, the lawsuit alleged that the replacements for the three women were chosen without the positions being advertised and without other candidates being interviewed. Carranza resigned as Schools Chancellor in February 2021, and de Blasio left office at the end of 2021.
The three women involved in the lawsuit feel vindicated by the resolution of the case and hope that shedding light on the DOE’s policies will lead other institutions to understand the importance of treating individuals with dignity and fairness. The city admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement, with a spokesman for the Law Department stating that the claims lacked merit. Despite this, the DOE and the city maintain their commitment to fair and inclusive employment practices. The settlement was deemed to be in the best interest of all parties involved.