Judge Rules Against Arlington Art Teacher Who was Fired

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A judge has ruled against a former South Dakota art teacher who says she was fired in retaliation for scolding the principal's daughter and complaining about a work assignment.

Jacque Huiner filed a lawsuit in 2011 against the Arlington school district and two administrators that asked for lost wages and punitive damages.

Huiner claimed that principal Rhonda Gross punished her for making her complaints known and intentionally caused her emotional distress.

U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier says that Gross was doing her job by spending more time observing Huiner's classes and writing a memo about the teacher's poor performance.

The judge says that even if Gross was acting only to harass Huiner, it did not rise to the level of "extreme and outrageous conduct" necessary to win the lawsuit.

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