First grader teacher sues Catholic school claiming age and gender discrimination

NEW ORLEANS - A former first grade teacher for a Louisiana Catholic school has filed a discrimination lawsuit that claims she was terminated due to her age and gender.

Mary S. Hedlund filed suit against The Roman Catholic Church of The Archdiocese of New Orleans, Paul Hart, and St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church and School last month in federal court in New Orleans.

Hedlund claims she was hired by the defendants to work at St. Andrew School in January 1990 as a first grade teacher and was promoted to Coordinator of Religious Education. She claims that the defendants have failed to prevent or take appropriate action to eliminate a general and consistent pattern and practice of age and gender discrimination by another employee.

Hedlund claims she was subjected to disparate treatment as a female compared to the treatment of male employees, being singled out and forced to apologize only to male employees for the actions of her superior, subject to threats and harassment, subject to unreasonable tasks and interference in the performance of her duties, abuse of authority by her supervisor to subject her to humiliation and embarrassment, subjecting her to pressure and coercion to abandon her employment with the defendants due to her age, and for forcing her to relocate to a small office, despite her claustrophobia.

Hedlund filed a complaint with the EEOC.

The plaintiff is seeking an award of damages for back pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, court costs, and interest.

Hedlund is represented by Carolyn B. Hennesy of Hennesy Law in New Orleans. A jury trial is requested.

U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:13-cv-00503