A special education teacher is suing the Auburn School Department for negligence over reports of teachers bullying and sexually harassing students and other misconduct at the Franklin School.

According to the Portland Press Herald, Heather Oinonen claims in the suit to have reported a pair of teachers who allegedly bullied special needs students, suggestively touched female students and displayed inappropriate videos in the classroom.

Oinonen says she was punished for making the reports, and the teachers were never disciplined for their actions.

Oinonen is seeking damages in “severe emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, and reputable damage.”

Oinonen says she first began reporting the teachers’ behavior to Franklin School Principal, Melissa McLeod in September 2020. In response to her allegations, Oinonen claims she was told to “learn to accept the Franklin way.”

Oinonen says she continued to file reports, which were mostly dismissed. In June of 2021, a meeting between Oinonen, McLeod, the two teachers, and a representative was held to discuss the inappropriate behavior.

Oinonen was reportedly told to sit out the remainder of the school year and return in the fall of 2021. Oinonen says she continued to witness the same behavior upon her return and continued to submit reports.

At the start of 2022, an investigation of the two teachers was carried out by Superintendent Cornelia Brown. Brown concluded in her report that one of the teachers had engaged in some professional misconduct towards Oinonen, but not to the level that Oinonen had claimed.

Oinonen says she began receiving poor reviews and reports of her teaching as a result of her complaints and in March of 2022 was urged to resign by McLeod, who allegedly told Oinonen that her contract would not be renewed.

The Auburn School Department responded to the lawsuit this week. The department denied most of Oinonen’s claims and requested a dismissal of the lawsuit by a judge.