Former Alabama Math Teacher Sues School District for $37,000 in Back Pay Following Alleged Poisoning
1 days ago
Disclosure: State of Alabama-based writer. This article is a work from cited sources for informational purposes and is used with permission. No affiliate links are included.
(Alabama)- According to Alabama Media News, a former Alabama math teacher, Sherri Nettles, is suing the board of education and former superintendent Luke Hallmark for $37,000 in back pay, claiming that the school district refused to recognize her poisoning as an on-the-job injury, Nettles, 54, alleges that three of her students poisoned her snacks with industrial chemicals during the 2022-23 school year, which led to a severe intestinal abscess. Her doctor has linked this condition to the poisoning incident.
The lawsuit, filed on August 31, 2023, asserts that Marengo Cty. school officials denied Nettles necessary pay and benefits during her recovery, forcing her to use personal sick leave and unpaid leave. As a result of her condition, she has been unable to work since March 20, 2023, and at the end of the school year, the district chose not to renew her teaching contract.
Nettles had taught for 22 years in Alabama public schools before taking a higher-paying contract position to teach middle and high school math at Amelia L. Johnson School. However, after her illness, the school district terminated her employment, citing her inability to work. Nettles says she was forced to file for bankruptcy after her home was foreclosed on, and her car was repossessed. Now living with a relative, she is struggling to make ends meet.
In an October 2024 interview with AL.com, Nettles expressed frustration with how long it’s taking for her case to be resolved, saying, “Had they done what they were supposed to, I would have never had to file bankruptcy at the end of April.”
A Flawed System for Teachers’ Injuries
Under current Alabama law, teachers can receive up to 90 days of paid leave after an on-the-job injury. However, unlike traditional workers' compensation insurance, Alabama teachers rely on their immediate supervisors to verify that their injuries occurred at work. Nettles claims her former principal, William Martin, refused to sign the necessary paperwork, preventing her claim from moving forward.
Without the principal’s verification, Nettles had to pay for her medical expenses out of pocket, requesting reimbursement from the state’s Board of Adjustment. This process has been time-consuming and left her with unpaid bills.
Family Support and Public Attention
Nettles’ daughter, Kathryn, took to TikTok earlier this month to ask for help for her mother.
"We’ve been silenced for too long. One thing about me, you’re going to hear what I have to say," Kathryn captioned under her video.
In the video, she mentioned her mother had been a teacher for more than 20 years, and that out of nowhere Nettles became very ill.
Kathryn continued, " She was hospitalized, and uhm, it was bad, really bad."
Currently, the 5-minute video has received more than 1,100 comments, including some from other Alabama teachers who shared similar experiences of being injured at work without proper compensation. Despite the attention, school district officials have not publicly responded to the lawsuit or to questions about the students involved in the poisoning incident.
Allegations of Retaliation
In addition to her lawsuit for back pay, Nettles has filed a federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint, alleging discrimination and retaliation by the school board for not renewing her teaching contract after the poisoning incident. Nettles claims that while the three students were held accountable in juvenile court, they were not disciplined by the school for their actions.
As Nettles awaits the resolution of her lawsuit and EEOC complaint, she continues to battle the financial and emotional toll left in the wake of the poisoning incident.
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