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Another former Sequoia Union High School District staff member has taken legal action against the district. On Sept. 2, Ofa Taimani, a former Menlo-Atherton High School instructional vice principal secretary, filed a tort claim alleging wrongful termination, discrimination and retaliation. She is seeking a minimum of $70,000 in economic and emotional damages.
Taimani, who had been working for Menlo-Atherton since 2015, had been on medical leave since September 2024 due to work-related stress. In late March, the district terminated her in a letter stating she would be placed on the 39-month medical reemployment list due to her depletion of “sick leave, differential leave and all other available leaves.”
“When I went on leave due to stress in September, I was communicating back and forth with human resources regarding my doctor’s appointments and letters,” Taimani said. “I actually was blindsided with the termination. There was no warning or anything.”
February was the last time she heard from the district before receiving the letter, she added.
Employees placed on the list immediately lose their pay and benefits. If an individual is able to medically return to work during the 39-month period, they will be entitled to any vacant positions in their classification. Former Woodside High School counselor Sharlett Downing was also placed on the 39-month reemployment list by the district before filing a lawsuit.
“The rehire list just feels like a glorified word that they use, because at the end of the day, I was fired. My benefits and my pay — all terminated,” Taimani said.
Taimani only began to experience what she describes as discriminatory and retaliatory actions from Menlo-Atherton administrators in recent years.
In November 2023, she was accused by the district of releasing confidential special education student records, Taimani told this news organization. Because of the sudden accusations and a district investigation that ensued, she began to experience panic attacks, she said.
She said that along with being a woman of color, she believes she is being retaliated against for her close relationship with former Menlo-Atherton basketball coach Mike Molieri, who was placed on paid administrative leave in August 2024 and filed a claim in May. Molieri is also being investigated by the district for mishandling student files.
Since 2023, Taimani has been struggling with severe anxiety and depression and had to go on medical leave after the district investigation in November that year. When she returned to work in April 2024, her job duties significantly changed and administrators did not provide her with training for her new duties, according to the claim.
In her new position, she was given the responsibility of handling special education files despite previous accusations alleging she had mishandled them. As her duties in the role increased without training, Taimani began to experience higher levels of stress, leading to her to go on medical leave in September 2024.
In November 2024, she filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint. This year, she received a “Notice of Right to Sue” letter from the EEOC, which investigated her discrimination claims, according to legal documents.
Taimani said she “felt defeated” when she received the termination letter. Over the past year, she had been receiving psychiatric and medical help to ease her anxiety, making an attempt to “be more present and to move forward,” she said.
Without pay and benefits, Taimani is experiencing financial difficulties and is paying for her treatments out of pocket.
Now, Taimini said she’s having to adjust to a new life as a stay-at-home mom but with a son who is currently attending Sequoia High School, she’s finding it difficult to be near the district office, located down the street.
“I, as a parent, am trying to be involved (but) there’s times where it’s a little hard because of the district office being there. It just brings back little memories and I tense up,” said Taimani. “I’m still finding more triggers here and there, but a lot of it has to deal with (the fact) that my son’s still in the school system.
The district will have 45 days to accept or reject the tort claim. If the claim is rejected or action is not taken by the district, Taimani will be able to file a lawsuit.
The district did not respond to a request for comment.
