Jackson County superintendent’s ex-secretary sues over gender and age discrimination
Just weeks after Jackson County School District settled a discrimination lawsuit against superintendent John Strycker and the school board, another former employee has filed a lawsuit on similar grounds.
Melissa Rayborn, who resigned her position as board secretary and assistant to Strycker in June 2021, filed suit in Jackson County court accusing the superintendent and the school district of a series of workplace violations including “intentional infliction of emotional distress,” hostile workplace environment, and discrimination based on gender, religion and age.
She is represented by Chuck McRae, the former Board attorney for the school district who also represented former assistant superintendent Mary Tanner in a similar lawsuit. Tanner received an undisclosed but reportedly substantial sum of money in a settlement.
In an interview with the Sun Herald, Rayborn described the circumstances that led to her resignation just six weeks shy of when she would have been vested in a retirement plan with the district after eight years of employment.
Rayborn said the superintendent overworked her, insulted her religious attitudes and ignored her objections to his angry outbursts and frequent use of profanity. She also claims Strycker gave younger employees opportunities and higher pay that were denied to Rayborn.
Rayborn said she recalled him telling her, “Melissa, you know, we’re just too old for this. My goal before I leave here is to fill all these slots with younger people who can understand millennials” — a comment she said made her feel “belittled.”
Rayborn says Strycker required her to frequently work nights and weekends, causing her to miss family events and asked him to take her family schedule into account.
“He told me that I’m in the phase of motherhood and that I would not be any more successful under his leadership until I sacrifice my family,” she said.
Rayborn repeatedly complained to members of the school board about Strycker’s conduct, but says she was ignored. Her lawsuit alleges that the school board failed to uphold its responsibilities under state law by turning a blind eye to the superintendent’s behavior.
The lawsuit cites a text message in which the school district’s human resources manager Laura McCool appears to confirm Rayborn’s depiction of the workplace by writing to Rayborn that she and Tanner “have had a hostile work environment more than anyone else.”
The lawsuit also cites a private recording in which Strycker allegedly refers to Rayborn as “a f****** Baptist” and says she can perform oral sex on his genitals.
Complaints against Strycker, likely including Rayborn’s five-page resignation letter, previously sparked a request by the Mississippi Department of Education that the school board conduct an ethics investigation into the superintendent. The Sun Herald reported in March that the school board has not said whether it conducted the investigation as instructed.
Strycker and school board president J. Keith Lee did not respond to an emailed request for comment.