Black vice principal who sued Sacramento City Unified over racist treatment settles with district
The Black West Campus High School vice principal who sued Sacramento City Unified School District alleging officials ignored repeated racist treatment by students, parents and fellow staff has settled with the district.
But the settlement contains no monetary award and no acknowledgment of wrongdoing by district officials, who said they were “vindicated” by the agreement Friday, stopping just short of saying the former school administrator lied about the allegations.
“Sac City Unified feels vindicated by this outcome as it closes a painful and deeply regrettable chapter in our history,” said district superintendent Lisa Allen. “I’m hopeful this brings needed closure for the West Campus community and restores the reputation of its exceptional principal John McMeekin.”
Dr. Elysse Versher sued the school district in 2022 after she was harassed with racist graffiti and social media posts during the previous fall term. Versher resigned the district that year saying she was not protected by the district and that she needed to concentrate on her mental health.
Versher’s lawsuit alleged she was subjected to racist interactions with colleagues, parents and students long before the graffiti and online postings and that district officials did nothing to protect her from the treatment.
The suit also detailed other racially motivated incidents including an October 2020 video class meeting overtaken by white students who used racial slurs to describe their Black classmates.
An internal investigation by the district found that someone had targeted Versher with racial abuse including graffiti in the fall of 2021, but could not identify the person or people who committed the acts.
But as part of the settlement announced Friday, Versher must release all claims she levied against the district; and remove social media posts and podcasts in which she described alleged harassment at West Campus. She is also barred from seeking employment at SCUSD schools.
A statement by Mark Harris, the district’s diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility monitor, was especially pointed, criticizing “a rush to judgment” by community members who supported Versher’s accounting of events.
A number of Black and other civic and community organizations, such as the Greater Sacramento NAACP, Sacramento Black American Political Association of California, Black Lives Matter Sacramento, National Action Network Sacramento, Sacramento ACT Unity of Sacramento, Diocese of Sacramento, and the California Black Chamber of Commerce stood in support of Versher during the 2022 news conference that announced her lawsuit.
“With the withdrawal of the lawsuit by Dr. Versher, I am happy to see the removal of the threat to the professional reputations of educators both at West Campus and the Sacramento City Unified School District,” Harris said. “After an exhaustive process of investigation that has not supported Dr. Versher’s original account of events, it is time for all of us to move forward and focus on ensuring our students and their families receive the commitment to academic excellence they deserve.”
SCUSD officials said lawyers representing Versher will be reimbursed $17,500 for specific costs incurred during the more than two years of litigation, saying the money is not a payment for legal fees.
Versher was represented by attorney Rodney Diggs of the Los Angeles-based firm Ivie, McNeill, Wyatt Purcell & Diggs. Diggs was immediately unavailable for comment Friday.
This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM.
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