Feds order Texas Education Agency to pay fired special education director more than $200,000

Laurie Kash was fired from her position as the Texas Education Agency’s special education director after months on the job. Linkedin profile

The U.S. Department of Education found that Laurie Kash’s disclosures about how the TEA awarded a contract were “contributing factors” in her termination.

Federal officials have ordered the Texas Education Agency to pay a former special education director more than $200,000 in damages for illegally firing her.

Laurie Kash filed a federal complaint Nov. 21, 2017, with the U.S. Department of Education, claiming the TEA had illegally awarded a no-bid contract to a company to analyze private records of students receiving special education services.

A day later, the TEA fired her. But state officials said Kash was terminated because employees at a former job filed a civil lawsuit against her alleging she had covered up the sexual abuse of a 6-year-old.

In a decision issued Friday, the U.S. Department of Education said Kash had “met her burden of showing that her protected disclosures were contributing factors” in her termination. It also said that the TEA failed to prove it would have fired her without her whistleblower complaint.

More: https://www.texastribune.org/2019/11/22/tea-special-education-director-awarded-200000-after-being-fired/