A concussion, a denied leave, and what a principal allegedly said at a staff meeting
A federal judge has cleared most of a DC teacher's disability and retaliation claims – and the ruling is a warning to HR.
In a decision issued May 11, 2026, US Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey allowed Star Dehaarte's lawsuit against the District of Columbia to move forward on her core claims, dismissing only one slice of her tort case. The opinion is a useful read for HR teams handling leave, medical information, and post-injury performance reviews.
Dehaarte worked as a physical education teacher at Browne Educational Campus, part of DC Public Schools. She says she slipped on ice outside her school on January 8, 2025, briefly lost consciousness, and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Five days later, she told administrators – including Principal Shawna Dix – that she had a severe concussion and could not return without physician clearance. She asked for medical leave and gave the school medical documentation when asked.
What allegedly happened next is the part HR will want to mark up. According to the filings, Dix told a staff meeting that same day that Dehaarte was not really injured and was attending women's health appointments. Dehaarte alleges Dix later shared her private medical information with coworkers, including male staff members who, in the complaint's words, "had no legitimate work-related need to know," and specifically said she was at "OB-GYN appointments."
Dehaarte...
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has accused President Donald Trump of being insincere on the death of an ISIS Commander, Abu-Bilal al-Mainuki. US President Donald Trump had announced the killing...