A former Bend-La Pine Schools principal and administrator is suing the school district, alleging he was fired after he reported gender bias, sex discrimination and special education violations in the district and said officials failed to act.

Salvatore Cassaro served as the principal at Marshall High School — now Bend Tech Academy — and as the district’s director of secondary programs before the district decided in March not to renew his three-year contract, which expires in June. Until the end of this school year, he will continue with the district, serving as the administrator for Bend-La Pine Schools Online.

He’s seeking $902,200 for what he alleges was whistleblower retaliation by the district and Katie Legace, the executive director of high schools, according to the lawsuit filed in the Deschutes County Circuit Court on Jan. 8.

In his lawsuit, Cassaro says he faced pushback after raising violations over law, regulations and rules in the district. Among his complaints:

• Cassaro opposed a district decision to place a student in the same school as a girl the student had sexually abused, the lawsuit alleges. The girl later dropped out, according to court records.

• In fall 2018, Cassaro said he was met with “anger and disdain” when he prepared a report that found “inadequate service to the low income, (special education), and minority students who attended Marshall High School.” Cassaro sent the report to Legace and Jay Mathisen, who was deputy superintendent at the time. The lawsuit alleges Legace “directed Mr. Cassaro not to share the document with anyone.” Mathisen, who had no comment on the lawsuit, is now superintendent of Jefferson County School District.

• Cassaro raised concerns and sought guidance from the district about a TikTok video that appeared to show a student holding a handgun, an employee who smelled of marijuana during the workday and other “workplace issues,” including staff stress, the lawsuit alleges. Legace “withdrew support” and “purposely failed to act or respond to Cassaro’s concerns,” the lawsuit alleges.

The school district on Tuesday rejected claims of retaliation.

“The district unequivocally denies engaging in retaliatory behavior toward Sal Cassaro or taking any disciplinary actions in response to alleged whistleblowing reports,” district officials said in a statement. “The district intends to vigorously defend its actions with respect to Mr. Cassaro’s employment.”

In January 2021, Cassaro filed a complaint with the district, alleging it wasn’t complying with certain policies around workplace discrimination, harassment, bullying and formal investigations, the lawsuit said. He held Legace responsible and alleged she undercut his authority and initiatives and also made “derisive public comments about him” and his performance, the lawsuit states.

Cassaro said the district responded to his complaints and protests by launching an investigation into “allegations of misconduct” against him, the lawsuit states. He called the allegations “false and/or questionable” and said the investigation “intentionally” ignored witnesses that would contradict the allegations, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit does not provide details about the district’s allegations of misconduct against Cassaro. District officials did not provide details about its investigation into Cassaro due to employee confidentiality, but said it was not related to the issues raised in his January 2021 complaint.

Then, Cassaro took his case to state officials, describing his concerns in a formal complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Civil Rights Division.

According to a letter from the bureau, neither Legace nor Mathisen considered Cassaro’s school performance data in 2018 to be whistleblowing and maintain that the document did not show unlawful practices. The district maintained “that (Cassaro) was asked not to share the document, but that was because the document made reference to the school having a ‘bad reputation’ and being where the ‘bad kids’ and ‘bad teachers’ go,” state records show.

The district maintained that the allegations against Cassaro were “unsubstantiated” but said it had a “lawful obligation” to investigate the complaint, state records show.

Brittney Boggs, a senior investigator for the bureau, said the state “had not found substantial evidence of an unlawful practice” and recommended dismissing the case, records show. Cassaro withdrew his complaint.

In his lawsuit, Cassaro alleges he was wrongfully terminated and says he is entitled to be reinstated to his former role in the district.

Cassaro seeks lost wages and compensation from the district and asks the court for additional damages from Legace to “punish” her and “deter her and others from similar conduct in the future,” according to court records.

Cassaro did not comment when reached by phone Monday. His lawyer, David Hannon, did not return emails or a phone call seeking comment.

As a district employee, Cassaro was responsible for coordinating district career and technical education, school safety, district athletics and a program that helps disruptive students.

In his lawsuit, he touted a number of accomplishments during his time at Marshall High. They include high attendance rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing expulsions and dropout rates, doubling the school’s graduation rate and creating career and technical education programs.

Cassaro’s is the latest lawsuit against Bend-La Pine Schools.

Bend family sues school district, construction company, after child is struck by car

Bend family sues school district, construction company, after child is struck by car

In April, a Bend family whose teenage daughter was hit by a car while crossing the street near Pilot Butte Middle School sued the district for negligence, alleging it failed to adequately provide crossing guards, signs and lights prior to the crash.

A jury trial in that case is scheduled for October.