Unitech Training Academy sued for $300K over expulsion of student for allegedly making faces at school employees

GRETNA – A medical assistant student who claims she was expelled for making faces at her teacher and a school administrator who verbally attacked her in front of a classroom full of students is suing.

Delisea Beverly filed suit against Unitech Training Academy Inc., Jeanette Commagere and their insurer in the 24th Judicial District Court on Aug. 19.

Beverly contends after a break in her studies at Unitech Training Academy Inc. in which she made a comment about how Commagere had gotten her job because she knew someone, she was approached in her classroom by Commagere, education director. The plaintiff asserts that after she admitted that she had made the comment both Commagere and Bovia, her teacher, verbally attacked her in front of her classmates, including asking why she had been discharged from the military, before she was accused of rolling her eyes and told she must leave the campus because she had been expelled. Beverly claims she left the grounds of Unitech Training Academy Inc. only after the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office was called and that in the following days she tried to contact Commagere to see if she could be reinstated as a student.

The plaintiff alleges that in a later meeting with Bovia she was told by Bovia that she was expelled because she had made strong facial expressions and that 10 days later she would receive a packet on how to be accepted back into the school. Beverly contends she never received the packet, but that she still sent a letter of appeal to Unitech and it was a month later, without any communication in between, that Commagere told her she would be offered readmission. The plaintiff asserts Commagere would not tell her why she had been expelled.

Beverly maintains that despite having a 3.9 grade point average and being only three months away from graduation she chose not to reenroll at Unitech due to being publicly embarrassed by school employees and fear of retaliatory action.

The defendants are accused of making malicious and insulting comments, character assassination, denial of due process, not providing a reasonable opportunity to appeal expulsion, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract, deprivation of the plaintiff’s right to complete her studies and loss of increased earning capacity.

Damages in the amount of $300,000 are sought for emotional distress, humiliation, mental anguish, embarrassment, depression, anxiety, breach of contract and denial of due process rights.

Beverly is represented by New Orleans-based attorney Veleka Eskinde.

The case has been assigned to Division F Judge Michael P. Mentz.

Case no. 741-445.