I was non-renewed from my teaching position in Washington this past Spring while I was on maternity leave. Despite being fully qualified for FMLA, the district, which is currently $6 million in debt and notorious for cutting corners, did not inform me directly about my non-renewal. I found out through a colleague far too late. After my salary stopped, I filed for unemployment to support my family during my job search. However, the district is contesting my claim, asserting that I quit. This has led to a notice from the Unemployment Office stating that I might have to repay the benefits I've received. I anticipated this issue when I learned about my non-renewal, so I reached out to my administrators and HR, but they ignored my inquiries. The head of HR claimed I failed to sign an 'intent to return' document that they supposedly mailed during my leave, which I never received. After being ignored, I contacted my union, and they managed to get in touch with HR. It turns out HR stated they intended to non-renew me because of my maternity leave. This entire experience has been incredibly unprofessional, confusing, and hurtful, especially since I dedicated several years to this job. I really need the unemployment benefits to keep my family afloat, and I can't afford to repay the amount already disbursed. I've submitted a statement to the Unemployment Office along with the union's email correspondence as evidence. Has anyone else faced a similar situation? What was the outcome?
Loading comments…
Comments