A pregnant New York City (NYC) public school teacher was terminated from her position after a student repeatedly kicked her in the belly, according to a federal discrimination lawsuit that accuses the school of blaming the victim to cover up classroom violence.
The victim teacher, Lauren Vitale, 31, filed a civil action on Monday, July 6, in Manhattan Federal Court against the NYC Department of Education. The lawsuit alleges that school officials orchestrated her ouster from a Staten Island school, utilizing a weaponized Teacher Improvement Plan after she reported the assault.
The incident occurred inside a classroom designated for students with severe behavioral disorders, court documents state. Vitale, who was pregnant at the time, was allegedly cornered and struck in the midsection by a student…