A former Fairfax County assistant principal’s discrimination suit against school officials will not go to trial, a federal judge has ruled.
Ting-Yi Oei, who is part Chinese, claimedhe was passed over for a promotion to principal at Mountain View Alternative High School because of his race. The 58-year-old, who served five years as assistant principal of the school, had sought compensation for potentially lost pay and legal fees.
But U.S. District Court Judge Gerald Bruce Lee on Friday granted summary judgment to the Fairfax County School Board, whose lawyers had argued Oei had failed to show proof of any discrimination. They also argued the man appointed principal of Mountain View was better qualified.
Oei, a veteran teacher and administrator, filed suit in August, pointing to a handful of cases that he said evidenced systemic racism in the principal selection process.
In 2002, Oei complained to a Fairfax County Public Schools administrator about his difficulty advancing within the school system.
The administrator, relaying information he received from other officials, told Oei “you have three strikes against you: You’re short, Asian and Quaker.”
In a separate 2004 incident, a panelist during an interview for the principal position at Mountain View refused to pronounce Oei’s name, instead referring to him as “Mr. T.”
His wife, Diane, said they would withhold comment on the advice of their attorney until Lee issued his opinion. That opinion is expected within two weeks.
