A former teacher is taking legal action against a school district and its administrators, alleging wrongful termination and violation of her civil rights. On January 2, 2026, Kayla Lupean filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against the Euclid City School District Board of Education, Principal Corey Russell, and Junior Principal Anne Obradovich. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of retaliating against Lupean for exercising her First Amendment rights and failing to provide due process as required by law.
Kayla Lupean, who was employed as a Career and Technical Education teacher at Euclid High School, claims she was terminated while on approved medical leave after speaking out on several issues concerning student welfare and administrative misconduct. According to the complaint, Lupean reported incidents of LGBTQ+ student harassment and raised concerns about a literacy crisis affecting Black students. She also accused school officials of failing to investigate these matters adequately. Despite being on medical leave due to workplace-induced stress, Lupean discovered her termination through a paystub rather than receiving any formal notice or hearing from the school district.
The lawsuit outlines that Lupean’s termination was an act of retaliation for her protected speech under the First Amendment. The complaint argues that her reports on student safety and educational equity were matters of public concern that should have been addressed rather than suppressed. It further alleges that Defendants Russell and Obradovich engaged in actions such as increased monitoring and manufactured disciplinary issues to create a hostile work environment for Lupean.
Lupean seeks various forms of relief from the court, including back pay for lost wages since November 2025, compensatory damages for emotional distress and damage to her professional reputation, punitive damages against individual defendants Russell and Obradovich, declaratory relief recognizing the violation of her constitutional rights, injunctive relief ordering a name-clearing hearing, expungement of negative references from her personnel file, and other appropriate remedies.
Representing herself in this case is Kayla Lupean with no attorney listed. The case is presided over by Judge Nugent with Magistrate Judge Greenberg also involved. The case identification number is 1:26-cv-00010-DCN.
Source: 126cv00010_Lupean_v_Euclid_City_School_District_Complaint_Northern_District_Ohio.pdf
