A high school teacher in Michigan has filed suit in federal court against Arbor Public Schools after the school district ordered her to undergo a psychological examination as a condition for continuing her employment.
The teacher was placed on leave in December 2013. The school district’s human resources department ordered the teacher to undergo a medical evaluation with a psychologist “due to concerns regarding her job performance.” The teachers’ collective bargaining agreement specifically allowed this measure.
Despite the fact that her union contract provided for a psychological evaluation, the teacher filed suit, alleging that the medical exam constituted an unlawful search in violation of her Fourth Amendment rights and violated her right to privacy. She also claimed that the district discriminated against her by “conditioning the terms and conditions of her employment on an unnecessary medical exam.”
The school district agreed to cancel the exam after the teacher filed suit. Despite the district’s action, the teacher has maintained her lawsuit and seeks unspecified damages.