Employees fired after Hurricane Katrina file class action lawsuit against Orleans Parish School Board

NEW ORLEANS – A group of former public school employees is suing the local school board for their termination following a natural disaster.

Karen Marks, Barbara Moore, Linda Pichon, Gwendolyn Ridgley, Antoinette Guillory, Cynthia Jordan and Lois Lockhart are named parties in a class action lawsuit filed on Jan. 31 in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court against the Orleans Parish School Board.

The plaintiffs claimed they were eligible for pay from the day they were evacuated on Aug. 29, 2005 until their termination on March 24, 2006. The plaintiffs allege the OPSB did not exercise a payroll clause with their insurer that would have allowed for payment for the employees. The plaintiffs argue they suffered damages by struggling to pay home mortgages, health insurance and other living expenses.

Damages sought all back pay and benefits from dates specified above and 90 days of punitive pay from the defendants.

The plaintiffs are being represented by New Orleans based attorney Willie M. Zanders.

The case has been assigned to Division K Judge Herbert A. Cade.

Case number 2012-00949