SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — Dr. Elysse Versher said she will resign as vice-principal of West Campus High School in part because of racial and sexual harassment and the Sacramento City Unified School District’s lack of action, according to her resignation letter, which was shared with FOX40.
Versher’s letter says that before the racist harassment against her in November of 2021, she had been told by a parent in 2019 that she only got her job because of affirmative action. She said she had also been sexually harassed by a coworker in March of 2020.
The investigation into the harassment reportedly did not go anywhere even though Versher states that she brought up her concerns to principal John McMeekin and human resources.
Versher said she and several others ultimately tried to talk to Superintendent Jorge Aguilar in June 2020 about why nothing had been done. According to Versher, Aguilar apologized, but there was no investigation or follow-up into the matter.
In November 2021, Versher was the target of racist social media posts and graffiti, West Campus High School said. In her letter of resignation, Versher said, “students came in droves to produce evidence of their peers racially harassing me and posting hateful words and images on the face of my -then- 4-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter.”
Versher said she told McMeekin there was also racist name-calling during class, but he allegedly said it was “free speech” and that it could not be investigated.
The racist harassment continued into December and through February of this year, Versher said. According to Versher, it led to a “suicide attempt and multiple stress-induced seizures.”
“I do not have the strength to continue enduring this physically, mentally and emotionally unsafe working environment. This letter serves as notification of my intent to resign as Assistant Principal at West Campus High School, effective on June 17, 2022,” Versher said in her letter.
Sacramento City Unified issued a statement on Thursday in response to Versher’s intended resignation.
“Dr. Versher made complaints of racist acts directed toward her during her employment and the District immediately initiated an investigation into those complaints. That investigation is nearly complete. At this point, out of respect to Dr. Versher and the process, the District will not have further comment until the investigator’s final report is issued. We expect that will happen soon.
Sacramento City Unified School District
We appreciate Dr. Versher’s service to the students of our District.”
