The former head coach of the varsity boys basketball team for Eastpointe High School is the fourth Black employee to file a racial discrimination lawsuit against the district since July 2023.
Michael E. Railey filed the lawsuit against Eastpointe Community Schools (ECS) in U.S. District Court last week, alleging he was terminated as the coach on April 15 after he filed a racial discrimination complaint against the district’s superintendent Christina Gibson.
Railey was terminated just after his team won the district championship, a feat the school only achieved two other times.
The lawsuit alleges Gibson “has a practice of using evaluations against those who raise complaints of race discrimination with the School District.”
“In two prior race discrimination lawsuits filed against ECS and Gibson, Gibson admitted to using the ‘N’ word under oath at her depositions,” the lawsuit states. “Under oath, former ESC Principal Asenath Jones testified that Gibson used the word ‘Nigger’ in her presence. Defendant Gibson has a pattern of seeking to have evaluations changed for Black employees of the School District to weaponize the evaluations as a tool for firing Black employees, such as Plaintiff Michael Railey, when they disagree with Gibson and raise claims of racism.”
Since July 2023, three Black school employees have filed racial discrimination suits against the district. Asenath Jones, a former principal, alleged racial discrimination, retaliation, and other violations. Renita Williams, a former secondary administrator, claimed racial discrimination and retaliation. And Leah Black, a former administrative assistant and grant specialist, alleged racial discrimination and a hostile work environment.
While the district administration is all white, the student body is more than 85% Black, according to Railey’s lawsuit.
His whistleblower lawsuit alleges discriminatory treatment, harassment, a hostile work environment due to his race, unlawful retaliation, and wrongful termination.
Railey was fired about six weeks after he filed a racial discrimination complaint with the school district’s human resources department. In the complaint, Railey alleges Gibson “spearheaded a conspiracy to illegally terminate me because of my racial identity as an African American.”
Railey says Gibson tried to get Jones, who was then the school’s principal, to give him “an unsatisfactory recommendation in an attempt to terminate me.” Jones refused, and she was later terminated. According to the complaint, Gibson attempted to “coerce” Assistant Principal Fatima Thompson to change his positive work evaluation so the superintendent had a basis to fire him.
In a witness statement, Thompson corroborated Railey’s version of events, saying Gibson insisted Railey’s previous evaluation prevented her from taking action against the coach.
Personnel records obtained by Metro Times under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act paint a different picture. In October 2023, Railey was accused of violating Michigan High School Athletic Association regulations for not submitting a roster of athletes in attendance of preseason conditioning and for having more than four players out of season on the basketball court in September and October.
Railey was also accused of “using inappropriate and racially charged language directed at another coach and in full view of student-athletes.”
In a letter from the school to Railey, he was admonished for failing to turn in progress reports for his students by deadline.
A school investigation earlier this year concluded there was no racial discrimination against Railey and that the issue was with “his personality, coaching skills and the students not liking him.”
Metro Times is awaiting a response from Gibson.
