Employee seeks $6M for reverse discrimination

A white employee who was passed over for a promotion in favor of an African-American employee is suing the county school board for reverse discrimination.

Kevin A. Stevens, 46, has worked for the county school system for 28 years and, about a year and a half ago, applied for a managerial position, but was turned down. He is seeking $6 million in damages.

"The hiring authority won't allow me to advance," Mr. Stevens said. "You work so hard, and you attain all these licenses and advanced education, and when no one will allow you to move, it's very frustrating."

Schools spokesman Bob Mosier said school officials do not comment on pending litigation. The school board's attorney could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Stevens' position is listed as a complex engineer, meaning he fixes heating and air-conditioning systems in county schools. In early 2007, he was passed over for a promotion to night quality-control manager, he said in the lawsuit. That position carries more responsibility; he would have been in charge of supervising night housekeeping crews in the schools, he said.

The man who was promoted instead was trained by Mr. Stevens in building maintenance and operations and worked under him for several years, according to the lawsuit.

Mr. Stevens said he has received high ratings on his evaluations and has more letters of recommendation and more experience than the man who got the job, according to the lawsuit.

The reason why he wasn't promoted lies with the supervisor of the operations division, who is African-American, Mr. Stevens said. The case was filed Aug. 6, and the school system will have to respond within 20 days, Mr. Stevens said.

Mr. Stevens is also asking to receive the promotion he originally applied for, along with "full compensation and appropriate back pay and front pay with interest," according to the lawsuit.