Richland 1 settled 3 lawsuits against former board member for over $150K, records show
Three lawsuits filed by former district employees against a former Richland School District 1 school board member were settled for more than $150,000 in the last decade, according to public records obtained by The State.
The State reported last fall that four former school district officials had sued Cheryl Harris over her 10 years on the school board, each alleging she used her position of authority to orchestrate demotions or to discipline them after upsetting her in their official duties. Three of the lawsuits were settled while the fourth, filed by current school board member Ericka Hursey, is pending.
Harris lost reelection to Hursey for the Richland 1 board’s District Four seat in November.
“Harris … was known to remark to others that she was going to ‘get the plaintiff,’” one lawsuit read. Harris, along with school district officials, “used their respective positions of authority and positions within the community to perpetuate their personal vendettas.”
The lawsuits were filed by:
▪ Rose Pelzer, a former Lower Richland High School principal, who said she was removed from her position after investigating a sexual assault complaint filed against a student with a “close familial relationship” with Harris as well as a harassment claim against an employee who also had ties to the board member.
▪ Angela Brown, a former elementary school principal, who said she was demoted when she ordered an audit of the school PTO’s funding. At the time, the PTO was headed by Harris.
▪ Santana Robbins, a former district security official, who said she was disciplined after Harris caused chaos during a gas leak at Lower Richland High School and after Robbins filed charges against an unruly fan who assaulted her at a basketball game.
▪ Hursey, another former Lower Richland High principal, who said she was demoted after giving a graduation speech that Harris disliked.
In a statement shared in October, Harris denied the allegations in the complaints filed against her. The State has reached out to Harris about the settlements.
Pelzer was awarded $65,000 in a 2019 settlement. Her lawsuit accused Richland 1 of defamation and violating civil rights and federal Title IX law. It also accused Harris and Superintendent Craig Witherspoon of civil conspiracy to remove her as principal because of personal vendettas.
According to her lawsuit, a student reported a sexual assault committed by another student, who had a “close familial relationship” with Harris. In accordance with state and federal law and Richland 1 policy, Pelzer investigated the incident, and then contacted Harris to set up a meeting to address the incident.
Pelzer also had to address a sexual harassment incident involving two guidance counselors at the high school, according to the lawsuit. The incident involved a close friend of Harris who “inappropriately touched” another counselor, according to the lawsuit. It was investigated, and Pelzer attempted to resolve the matter per district policy.
Harris allegedly told Pelzer after the incidents that she would take action against her, and Pelzer was later abruptly reassigned to the district’s Department of Instructional Services in December 2017, the lawsuit said.
Brown was awarded $72,500 and a neutral job reference in a 2016 settlement. Brown had worked for the district since 1998, according to her lawsuit. Despite her good record as principal of Hopkins Elementary School, she was criticized after ordering an audit of PTO funding. Harris, who was president of the school’s PTO at the time, became adversarial with Brown and sought to criticize her and “undermine” her leadership.
According to the lawsuit, which alleges defamation and civil conspiracy, Harris orchestrated Brown’s transfer to Hyatt Park Elementary, where other district officials “falsely accused” Brown of failing to report an incident of child abuse to the proper authorities, though there was no such incident. She was later demoted from her principalship because district officials disliked her personally, the lawsuit said.
Robbins was awarded $15,000 in a 2016 settlement. She was the district’s manager of security and emergency services when a gas leak at Lower Richland High School caused Harris to direct students and staff to leave campus in personal vehicles without a determined evacuation point, which was against district protocol, according to her lawsuit. Chaos ensued, and although Robbins restored calm, Harris later criticized, berated and defamed her, the lawsuit said.
A few months later, Robbins supervised a basketball game when a fan became unruly and was eventually removed. According to the lawsuit, Robbins was assaulted by the fan’s wife, and later filed criminal charges. Once Robbins filed those charges, she was placed on administrative leave, but did not receive a letter informing her until days after her leave was supposed to begin.
Harris had the district to put her on administrative leave and influenced fellow school board members from fairly deciding whether to issue a letter of reprimand and actively sought to get her fired, according to the lawsuit.
Hursey’s lawsuit accuses Harris and the district of free speech violations, breach of contract and defamation. Hursey said she was removed as principal in retaliation for a speech she gave at a high school graduation in 2022, in which she talked about overcoming personal and professional adversities.
Despite a signed contract to be Lower Richland’s principal for the following academic year, Hursey was swiftly removed from her role as principal in retaliation for the speech, according to the lawsuit. Witherspoon, the superintendent, told Hursey the speech was “inappropriate” and “unprofessional,” and placed Hursey on investigatory administrative leave, though she was not formally disciplined further.
Harris had a hand in the reassignment and interfered with Hursey’s contract, the lawsuit said.
A spokesperson for Richland 1 declined to comment on the settlements.
