Former Warren schools administrator files suit, alleging job loss was racially motivated

Staff report

WARREN

A former administrator with Warren City Schools has filed a lawsuit in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, accusing the former superintendent of eliminating his job because he’s black.

John L. Crawford’s lawsuit names Michael Notar, former superintendent, and the Warren Board of Education as defendants.

Steve Chiaro, who became superintendent at the beginning of this month after Notar left for a similar job in Conneaut, said he had not seen the lawsuit and didn’t have a comment. Notar could not be reached in Conneaut.

Crawford says he was assigned the job of supervisor of student services and community outreach in January 2011 but was not paid the same amount as William Carnahan, whom he replaced when Carnahan retired. Carnahan is white.

For one year starting in August 2011, Crawford also conducted expulsion hearings with then-Superintendent Bruce Thomas, the lawsuit says.

But when Notar became superintendent Aug. 1, 2012, he “formulated a plan to remove the minorities” holding administrative positions, the suit states, including that of Angela Desai, director of human resources, but not Crawford. The board of education rejected Notar’s plan.

In February 2013, Crawford discovered that similar-situation Caucasian employees “were being paid at a higher salary rate than him,” complained to Notar and scheduled a meeting with Notar on Feb. 13, 2013, but Notar canceled it, the lawsuit says.

Notar later submitted a plan that called for elimination of Crawford’s job “because [Crawford] is African-American, and in retaliation for Crawford’s demanding to be paid at a salary rate equivalent to his Caucasian counterparts,” the lawsuit says.

Crawford’s job was eliminated effective June 30, 2013, the suit says.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of at least $25,000 and punitive damages of at least $100,000. The suit was filed by Atty. Frank Consolo of Cleveland.