Ex-teacher, school settle bias case

A former English teacher from Truebright Science Academy Charter School who alleged the North Philadelphia school discriminated against her on the basis of national origin and gender has reached a settlement in her civil rights suit.

U.S. District Court records show that Regenna A. Jalon, a former head of Truebright's English department, and the charter school ended the suit last Friday because of the settlement.

Jalon, who worked at Truebright for four years, alleged in a suit filed in February that the school had engaged in a pattern of hiring, promoting, and paying less-qualified Turkish nationals more than American-born educators who were certified and had more experience.

Terms were not disclosed.

Neither Jalon's attorneys nor Truebright's lawyers returned calls or responded to e-mails Monday seeking comment. Jalon had sought $150,000.

Truebright had denied Jalon's allegations.

She was one of at least nine Truebright staffers who filed discrimination complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2011. She filed her suit after the EEOC issued a letter in January saying she could proceed with a suit.

Truebright is one of more than 130 charter schools across the country linked to Fethullah Gulen, a controversial Turkish imam who lives in the Poconos.

Truebright's board, top administrators, and a third of its teachers are Turkish. Many are working in the United States on nonimmigrant visas.

Truebright officials have said the school has no ties to Gulen.

In her suit, Jalon had contended Truebright engaged in "a concerted effort to deprive" non-Turkish staffers of the ability to earn as much as the Turkish male employees.

She resigned in late November.