Lesbian teacher accused of being in an 'LGBTQ coven' wins $1.2 million

"Rose Tagnesi, a former special education director in California, was awarded the settlement after suing her district's board of trustees for discrimination. As per the The Advocate, Tagnesi filed the lawsuit against the Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego in August 2024, alleging multiple instances of harassment over her sexual identity as well as retaliation for her opposition to the conservative school board's "anti-LGBTQ agenda", including their attempt to ban LGBTQ+ books."

"Tagnesi further accused the board's trustee Jim Kelly of calling her and another woman employee "witches" who were members of an "LGBTQ coven". She added that Kelly called the staffer "hot", said she wasn't qualified for her position, and told her to keep a "low profile" about her sexual orientation, or risk not being approved for a promotion if it was revealed that she was a lesbian."

Rose Tagnesi sued Grossmont Union High School District alleging harassment, discrimination, and retaliation related to her sexual orientation. She accused trustee Jim Kelly of calling her and another employee "witches" in an "LGBTQ coven", sexualizing a staffer, and warning that being openly lesbian could jeopardize promotions. The district agreed to pay $19,000 upfront and $700,000 over two decades, plus $481,000 for attorney fees, while the board approved the settlement without admitting wrongdoing. Tagnesi was demoted after an investigation following a January 2021 incident in which a 16-year-old special education student went missing and was sex trafficked; the student's family had been awarded $400,000.

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