Nada Shaath vs. Los Angeles Unified School District

Case Background

Nada Shaath filed an employment lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District in the California Superior Court, Los Angeles County. The lawsuit included claims of workplace misconduct, retaliation, and discrimination among others. Judge Theresa M. Traber presided over this case. [Case number: 21STCV22706]

Cause

Nada Shaath had worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) since 2007, first at Bell High School and later at the Division of Instruction’s Multilingual and Multicultural Education Department (MMED) in 2018 as a Specialist. She was Muslim and of Middle Eastern descent, born in Kuwait and part of the Palestinian diaspora. Her job included securing grants to develop an Arabic language program.

Since joining MMED, she faced discrimination based on her religion, national origin, and ethnicity. Hispanic employees received more favorable treatment. Executive Director Lydia Acosta Stephens questioned Shaath’s ethics and dismissed her contributions. Stephens also made demeaning comments, pressured her to take leave, and paid her less than Hispanic specialists with similar or lesser qualifications. Shaath’s supervisor assigned her unrealistic deadlines and denied her overtime pay. A less qualified Hispanic candidate received a promotion over her after hiring requirements were lowered.

Shaath re