More Details on Beverly Hills High Principal's Lawsuit Against the District

Beverly Hills High School's first black principal filed a civil rights lawsuit today, alleging he was the target of a "malicious campaign of discrimination and retaliation" by the school district because of his race.

Carter Paysinger's complaint, filed in Los Angeles federal court, alleges that he has been the victim of a racially motivated "campaign of abuse" led by the Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education.

A district spokeswoman declined comment on the lawsuit.

Paysinger is a Beverly Hills High graduate who spent 19 years as the school's head football coach before being named principal four years ago.

Starting last year, Paysinger submitted four complaints to the district, alleging racial discrimination, retaliation and violations of California law, according to his court papers, which allege the district "responded with hostility, anger, and more abusive discrimination and retaliation."

Paysinger contends the district retaliated by initiating a "knowingly meritless investigation" of the principal that included "false, misleading and defamatory" reports, leading to a "meritless complaint" with the District Attorney's Office over alleged financial self-dealings in connection with a summer sports program he was involved in.

He's seeking unspecified punitive and general damages.

--City News Service