Ex-University School Of Nashville Director Fired For Mishandling Of Sexual Misconduct Case Files Racial Discrimination Suit

Image Credit: usn.org

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

Amani Reed, the former director of University School of Nashville who was fired over mishandling a sexual misconduct case, has filed a federal complaint seeking at least $21 million in damages for racial discrimination and workplace harassment and retaliation. 

Reed was originally terminated amidst calls for new leadership from students and faculty of the private school and community members after a student came forward with grooming and sexual harassment accusations against a former teacher last year.

The student faced skepticism from the school about the validity of her claims, with leadership initially defending the teacher and some accusing her of creating false claims for financial gains.

It was reported the school was elusive through the process, constantly leaving students and others involved in the in the dark, and was unresponsive to many requests and inquiries, focusing more on damage control than resolution of the issue itself. 

Students even staged a walkout expressing displeasure with the way the school handled the situation and demanded the schools top two administrators, one being Reed, resign.

The school officially announced Reed’s termination in Jan. 2025, but the former director does not feel he was justly treated and has now filed his second suit against the school.

The first complaint included both Reed and his wife as plaintiffs against the school and an unnamed board trustee member who voted to fire him, alleging the school board breached his contract, among other things, and requesting $22 million in compensation. That suit was dismissed by Reed’s attorney without prejudice on Oct. 28, because it was moving too slowly and to make way for his second filing.

In the new suit, dated Nov. 13, Reed claims he was treated differently than his predecessor during a 2021 crisis and not given factual basis for his punishment nor a chance to properly respond to the discipline when he was fired because he is a Black man. It also challenges the school’s justification for his firing him for cause because he did not implement policies adopted by the board, saying that argument isn’t supported.

Furthermore, the lawsuit argues that after Reed’s termination the four finalists to replace him were all White/Caucasian, and therefore the school “acted maliciously or with reckless indifference for Mr. Reed’s federally protected rights because it knew that its treatment of Mr. Reed violated Federal anti-discrimination law but chose to terminate him anyway.” 

Reed has also filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against trustees and claims the school retaliated against Reed after he sent an email in October of 2024 reporting racist concerns. Afterward, board trustees ignored Reed’s texts and emails, not responding in a timely manner, the suit said.

Reed is once again seeking over $20 million in recompense, and Reed’s attorney said both the cases will be consolidated into the federal suit and could involve additional financial compensation. 

University School of Nashville responded with a statement calling the new claims “baseless” and stating they will not further comment on the pending litigation.

“Yesterday, an attorney for USN’s former Director Amani Reed filed a federal lawsuit against the school alleging additional baseless claims. This is the latest in a series of legal actions filed against USN by Reed, and all previous claims have either been dismissed by the court or withdrawn by Reed,” the school’s statement said. “Reed was terminated for cause by USN in January 2025 following the release of the Barnes & Thornburg independent investigative report, which found that he had violated numbers of school policies during the investigation of former teacher Dean Masullo in 2024. While the school will not comment further on this new litigation, we will continue to defend USN against these false allegations.”

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.