Whistleblower Lawsuit filed against Hermantown School District

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — A Whistleblower Lawsuit has been filed against the Hermantown School District on behalf of a former employee of the schools.

According to the lawsuit which was filed on Nov. 2, Emily Bellamy, a former speech-language pathologist at the schools, was retaliated against by the district after she reported to the district that Individualized Education Program services for students there had been revised and ended without parental consent, which would be a violation of laws requiring students with disabilities receive an appropriate education.

The complaint states that The School Board and district administrators retaliated against her by denying workplace privileges and voting not to renew her contract, despite continued positive performance evaluations and consistent praise for her work with students with disabilities within the district, violating the Minnesota Whistleblower Act.

Upon reaching out to the school district for a statement, the school district’s attorney in the case stated:

“The district has no comment on the pending litigation. Emily Bellamy is not a current District Employee.”