A federal lawsuit has been filed against the Allegan Area Educational Service Agency. The lawsuit alleges two female teachers were sexually harassed by Jonathan Garcia and that the agency did not take reasonable steps to stop the behavior.
Garcia resigned as principal at the Allegan County learning center in 2016 after allegations first surfaced. He worked at the Hillside Learning and Behavior Center in Allegan as well as the Young Adult Campus in Otsego, and the Sensory Program in Martin.
According to the lawsuit, the sexual harassment included verbal abuse and unwanted touch that eventually escalated to physical assault. Garcia was later convicted assaulting the teachers.
“All Americans are entitled to a workplace that is free of unlawful harassment based on sex,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The typesof discriminatory acts alleged in this lawsuit, resulting in these public sector employees suffering years of verbal and emotional abuse and ending with physical assaults, can be prevented only when employers cultivate workplace environments where workers know that such misconduct will not be tolerated.”
Both teachers filed charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The charges were investigated and the investigation lead the commission to believe that violations of Title VII had occurred.
Additional information about Title VII and other federal employment laws is available on the Civil Rights Division’s website.
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