MIAMI – An employee has filed a $752,000 lawsuit against the School Board of Miami-Dade alleging sexual harassment from her supervisor and health issues due to mold exposure.
Martha Edgerton filed a lawsuit in federal court against the School Board of Miami-Dade County citing allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and negligence.
According to court documents, Edgerton was employed by the School Board of Miami-Dade County since 1987 until she was laid off in August 2008. On July 8, 2022, she was rehired by Principal Earl Allick to work as school secretary/treasurer. She claims since her rehiring date, she's been subjected to a hostile work environment by Allick, who allegedly mistreated, harassed and discriminated against her based on her gender. She adds that when she reported the misconduct, no corrective action was taken and she faced retaliation from Allick.
Edgerton's lawsuit includes a claim of negligence claiming that the defendant failed to address a mold infestation in the workplace. She claims to have been exposed to mold and suffered health issues, which were confirmed by OSHA laboratory results. She claims that despite medical advice and evidence of mold, she was not relocated from her work area, exacerbating her health problems.
Edgerton argues that the defendant breached its duty to maintain a safe working environment, leading to a breach of building, housing, and health codes.
According to Edgerton, her requests for accommodation and workers' compensation were reportedly met with delays, and attempts to secure a hardship transfer were allegedly ignored by Human Resources.
Edgerton, who is representing herself in this case, is demanding a trial jury to seek $752,200 in damages.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida case number 1:23-cv-24242