In a compelling legal battle, a former employee has filed a lawsuit against a public charter school, alleging racial discrimination and wrongful termination. On January 15, 2025, Jacody Rose lodged his complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Homer Plessy Community School and its insurer, ABC Insurance Co.
The case revolves around allegations that the school engaged in unlawful employment practices violating federal laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). According to the complaint, Rose was hired as Head Dean of Culture at Homer Plessy Community School in December 2023 after submitting his resume directly to the Dean of Students. However, he claims that his tenure was marred by racial discrimination and a hostile work environment fostered by Andrea Arellano, Director of Social Emotional Learning at the school. The complaint details how Arellano allegedly made false reports about Rose's job performance and created a toxic work environment by "talking down" to him and manipulating situations to her advantage.
Rose asserts that despite efforts to resolve these issues through meetings with supervisors, he faced humiliation instead. His employment was terminated on March 13, 2024, purportedly due to a background check revealing a prior criminal conviction—a check he claims was conducted without his consent or proper authorization as required under FCRA guidelines. This termination followed what Rose describes as pretextual reasons for dismissal tied to racial bias rather than legitimate concerns.
In pursuit of justice, Rose filed charges with both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the National Labor Relations Board shortly after his termination. He received a right-to-sue letter from the EEOC on October 16, 2024. The lawsuit accuses Homer Plessy Community School of race discrimination under Title VII by allowing defamatory allegations against him to go unaddressed and terminating him based on pretextual grounds linked to his race.
The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages for lost wages, emotional distress, reputational harm, punitive damages where applicable by law, interest before and after judgment, attorney fees along with other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Jacody Rose is Attorney Veleka Eskinde from The Law Office of Veleka Eskinde LLC based in New Orleans. The case is being heard under Case ID: 2:25-cv-00114.