WRONGFUL TERMINATION?
After rumours circulated around the sudden departure of a former teacher, a recently-filed lawsuit tells the teacher's side of the story Kyle Berlage The complaint was filed and became public record on December 1, 2020. It is available at bit.ly/BishopComplaint. This article covers a number of allegations -- claims that have not yet been proven -- against our community members.
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r. Chad Bishop, a former En- ings, [they] deleted multiple portions tered [texts], so they knew, and know glish teacher at The Bishop’s of the communication, fundamen- full well, that Bishop and [the student] School, filed a legal complaint tally altering context and meaning” were not [texting inappropriately],” the with the Clerk of the Superior Court of to imply nudity. The former student complaint detailed. Because of this, the California in San Diego County against denied a request for comment on complaint requested a trial by jury, as the School, Head of School Mr. Ron the article and requested their name well as compensation. Mr. Bishop asked Kim, and a former student. Mr. Bish- not to be mentioned in the article. for: his old job at the school to be reinop’s employment was terminated on As these texts began to circu- stated, lost salary and benefits, removal September 17, 2019 after an incident late around social media, Mr. Bishop of the termination letter, as well as conover text involving the former student. was brought into a meeting with Mr. tent deemed “defamatory”, damages for In his complaint, he alleged wrong- Kim on September 17, 2019 in which, breach of contract, damages for defaful termination by the School and Mr. according to the complaint, “Bishop mation, damages for wrongful terminaKim, breach of tion, attorney fees contract by the and costs, puni“Bishop was informed that his position School and Mr. tive damages, and Kim, and defama- with the school was to be terminated “any further relief tion by the School, the Court deems Mr. Kim, and the .” - alleged by the complaint. just and proper”. former student. Mr. Kim deAccording to the clined to comment complaint filed by on aspects of the Mr. Bishop, which only includes his was informed that his position with the case, saying, “We are committed to the side of the story, the former student, school was to be terminated immedi- safety and well-being of all students who graduated last fall and was at- ately.” The complaint also said, “Bish- past and present. Out of respect for the tending university at the time, texted op had a contract with The School for privacy of our community, it is not the him on September 8, 2019, and they employment for that school year, 2019- School's practice to share specific inexchanged some back and forth texts, 2020. The termination was a direct formation about our students, alumni, when Mr. Bishop sent a meme includ- breach of his contract. There was noth- parents, staff, or faculty.” The complaint ing a Michael Myers character called ing in his contract regarding any social assigned a lot of the blame for the inci“Fat Bastard”. Mr. Bishop inaccurately, contact with adult former students. dent directly onto Mr. Kim. “The deciand from his perspective humourously, There were no written policies nor sions to terminate Bishop; to send the identified the photo as himself. The con- training regarding social contact with termination letter; and to maintain that versation reportedly finished soon after. adult former students.” The School’s termination letter as part of the records According to the complaint Employee/Student Boundaries policy maintained by the school were all made and multiple student confirmations, has no official guidelines regarding em- by [Mr.] Kim,” the complaint alleged. the former student then posted screen- ployee conduct with former students. shots from this interaction on their The complaint continued that, private Instagram story. The complaint “Defendants The School and [Mr.] alleges, “In [the former student’s] post- Kim were furnished the original unal-
immediately
06 CAMPUS | Issue 04
