A former occupational therapist for the Portland Public School system filed a whistle-blower suit which alleges that school district officials forced her to resign as retaliation for bringing to light negative practices of the school district in their handling of special education students.

Specifically, Christine Van Osdol alleges that the district retaliation was due to her complaining to the district officials that she and her coworkers were overworked and lacked the time and resources to provide the attention required by special education law to their students. For her complaints, Van Osdol alleges that district officials forced her to resign.

Her suit names the district and special education administrator Linda Moon as defendants. She is seeking $900,000 in damages from each defendant. While the district acknowledges the lawsuit, it refuses to comment further.

The suit additionally alleges that when Van Osdol filed a union grievance concerning working conditions that district officials told her to limit her work to those students whose “parents are litigious.” The also claims that Portland Public Schools are not meeting legal special education requirements for nearly half of their special needs children.

Such lawsuits are becoming the norm in this Pacific Northwest town. Last year, an arbitrator agreed with the teachers’ union in a suit wherein the teachers complained that the district had unfairly increased their workload due to a newly implemented schedule. The district was ordered to pay 1.4 million out to affected workers.

The year before that, a special education principal also filed a whistle-blower suit. She claimed she was demoted in retaliation for standing up to officials about staff and child safety issues that existed. After a lengthy trial, the jury ruled in favor the school district.

If you feel that your child is not getting the services they deserve because you have not stood up to your district, please call The Law Office of Gregory R. Branch at 714-856-1166.