A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a local school, alleging severe discrimination and retaliation that led to his wrongful termination. James Harper filed the complaint in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida, on September 20, 2024, accusing Solid Rock Community School Inc. of discriminatory practices and unlawful retaliation.
According to the court documents, Harper began his employment with Solid Rock Community School in October 2022. Owned and operated by Michelle and Eric Fasnacht, the school allegedly became a hostile work environment for Harper due to his sexual orientation. Harper, who is openly homosexual and in a committed relationship with another man, claims that both Michelle and Eric Fasnacht were aware of his sexual orientation. The complaint details multiple instances where Eric Fasnacht used derogatory slurs such as "faggot" to refer to various individuals, including Harper himself. In April 2023, Harper confronted Eric Fasnacht about this offensive language but was dismissed when he reported it to Michelle Fasnacht.
Harper alleges that his complaints about the discriminatory language were minimized and treated as jokes by the school's owners. Subsequently, he claims he was terminated from his position at Solid Rock Community School in retaliation for voicing his concerns about the discriminatory behavior. The lawsuit asserts that these actions constitute violations of the Florida Civil Rights Act.
The plaintiff is seeking several forms of relief from the court. Harper demands back pay and benefits, interest on back pay and benefits, front pay and benefits, compensatory damages for emotional pain and suffering, punitive damages, costs and attorney’s fees, as well as any other relief deemed just and equitable by the court. The total amount sought exceeds $50,000.
Representing James Harper are attorneys Taylor D. Roebig and Thomas D. Roebig Jr., from Florin Roebig P.A., based in Palm Harbor, Florida. The case has been assigned Case Number 24-004244-ClI.