Fired for doing my job.
I'm a remote/telehealth school based therapist for a public cyber school. I work for a contractor who schools contract out to. So I do not work for the school directly but the school I was working for decided I wasn't welcome back because they're claiming I "coordinated another placement for a student." Let me explain. I had a student whose disabilities and mental health diagnoses were largely the reason they were attending a cyber school. They expressed completely on their own wanting to return to an in person school setting. This was wonderful because it did show they were making progress in therapy. They maintained that's what they wanted to do, for months. They also expressed this to their caretaker who then began having conversations with me as well about her worries, concerns, what the transition would look like. All of which I supported her through, I encouraged the mom to bring this up to their case manager with the school which she did. Prior to the students annual IEP meeting I sent in my iep input and informed the case manager I unfortunately would not be able to attend but that their interest in wanting to go back to in person should be discussed. Weeks go by, the student and caretaker then decide the in person public school is not really an option due to poor ratings and mom researches and finds a specialized school that potentially fits their needs but to get any more info, required a referral from the current school. Mom reached out to the case manager, and I also sent an email including mom on it. Just doing coordination of care like I know how to do. Over a period of 4 months, the school continued to not respond to me or mom and or passed the matter to a different staff member claiming they didn't know the referral process. These were case managers and school counselors. Mind you, it's now summer and the upcoming school year is not far off. The family doesn't even have the information they need on this specialized school to make a decision if they would or would not go. I saw the student for summer sessions and when we concluded for the summer, at this point with nothing happening with the referral, they were intent on returning to the cyber school but were open to still getting the info on the other school, maybe even touring it. Just to have it as an option in the future. Finally the school makes the referral. Then they ask to meet with my boss and tell them I'm not welcome back.
I have written documentation- emails that went to the school, communication logs, session notes all that explicitly state that the student was expressing wanting this and that the parent was looking into other schools. I never recommended anything. I was just supporting their wishes.
So I was let go because of doing what I wholeheartedly believe was my job. The school is upset because it they lose this student, they lose money. It's about money and a total lack of about what's in best interest of the child. Also relevant, the student was not performing well in the cyber school. They didn't attend classes and almost failed the past two years. Meeting with me was the only consistent school thing he attended. This suggests this cyber school was not meeting his needs. And had the school ever actually reached out and had a conversation with the parent and offered more support maybe they could have worked out a way to return them.
The worst part about this to me is this means no closure with any of my students or families. Because I no longer hold a contract at that school I'm not supposed to have contact with them. Students and families who have dealt with loss and who I provided total reassurance to that if and when I leave we will prepare for that because never did I think something like this would happen that's totally out of my control. Families that I made concrete plans with about when I'd be reaching out and plans for the next school year. I feel like they're going to be totally blindsided and hurt. I cannot understand how or why the school thought letting me go would solve anything for them and that they would choose to do so at the expense of students and their treatment.
I am considering filing a complaint with the state because I believe this violates Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and American's with Disabilities Act which state you cannot retaliate against staff for advocating for a student with disabilities.