PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. – A white New Jersey teacher who was repeatedly denied a position as an assistant principal received a $45,000 settlement in a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Pleasantville Board of Education.

Renee Marie Irwin claims in a lawsuit settled in December that she worked in the Pleasantville school district since 1997, and applied for an assistant principal position at an alternative school in 2003 but the job was given instead to a “less qualified African-American teacher,” NJ 101.5 reports.

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“It wasn’t nearly the last time she’d make that claim. Irwin left the district to work in another as assistant principal – but when she returned to Pleasantville in 2007, again applying for an assistant principal job, (she) was turned down,” according to the news site. “She said in the suit that the post once again went to a less qualified African American applicant.”

Irwin contends the same thing happened in 2013 and 2014, despite the fact that she was more qualified and had more union seniority than the black teachers who were hired as assistant principals.

“As the 2012/2013 school year progressed, the school administration within the Middle School was in need of more managerial assistance and two teachers were pulled from the classroom to assist the Middle School Administration, both were of African American race and had less experience and qualifications than the plaintiff or seniority and time at the district than the plaintiff,” according to the lawsuit cited by NJ 101.5.

“In or around August of 2013 the position of Assistant Principal was again posted within
the defendant Pleasentville Board of Education School District. Once again, plaintiff
applied and interviewed for the position. On or around October of 2013, the position was given to yet another African American female with no administrative experience.”

The following year, Irwin was again passed over for an assistant principal position that was given to a black woman. That woman, it was later revealed, had a relationship with one of the interview committee members. She was also denied a dean of students position that was awarded to an black woman who was dismissed from her school the year prior, NJ 101.5 reports.

Irwin alleges in the lawsuit that she was informed “by at least one member that there is a long-standing practice of reverse racial discrimination (within) the Pleasantville Board of Education School District,” which “systematically” hires blacks over whites, according to the lawsuit.

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“As part of the settlement agreement, Irwin was offered a one-year assistant principal post in the school district,” the news site reports. “She’s currently listed as the assistant principal of the Leeds Avenue School.”

The blog NJ Civil Settlements reports the settlement also came with a $45,000 payout, though the district did not admit any fault as part of the deal.

“The settlement agreement contains a confidentiality clause, which prevents the parties to the suit from publicly disclosing the settlement terms,” according to the blog. “Fortunately, however, these confidentiality clauses do not trump the public’s right to obtain copies of settlement agreements that arise out of lawsuits in which a government agency or official is a defendant.”

“None of Irwin’s allegations have been proven or disproven in court. Settlement agreements typically state that payment does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by any of the defendants.  All that is known for sure is that Pleasantville or its insurer, for whatever reason, decided that it would rather pay Irwin $45,000 than take the matter to trial,” NJ Civil Settlements reports.