Athletics director seeks reinstatement

A Jefferson County educator has sued her employer, alleging refusal to renew her contract satisfactorily.

Tanuya Worthy filed a lawsuit March 24 in Jefferson County District Court against the Port Arthur Independent School District (PAISD), alleging employment discrimination.

According to the complaint, Worthy, who currently serves as one of four assistant principals at Jefferson Middle School, was hired primarily as assistant athletic director, and her position as assistant principal is secondary and understood to be on an as-needed basis.

The suit states Worthy successfully improved the girls’ athletics programs at Jefferson after accepting the PAISD’s initial employment offer. During the second year of her contract, according to the lawsuit, she was told in July 2014 she would be reassigned for the following school year under conditions that did not match those of her original contract, specifically, job duties and salary.

The complaint alleges Worthy was systematically and wrongfully demoted. The case is still in front of the commissioner of education for Texas, Michael Williams. The plaintiff seeks to resolve the grievance procedure with this petition.

Worthy asks the court to reverse the commission’s decision and reinstate her former salary. She is represented by attorney Larry Watts of Missouri City.

Jefferson County District Court case number: E-196876