CAMDEN, N.J. — A federal judge has ruled that a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by longtime Millville educator Jacqueline Cruz against the Millville Board of Education and Superintendent Tony Trongone will proceed to trial after denying the defendants’ motion for summary judgment.
In an opinion issued by Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb, the court denied the defendants’ motion “in its entirety” and announced its intention to schedule the case for trial once the parties submit a final pretrial order.
Promotion decision at center of lawsuit
According to the court’s opinion, Cruz, who is Hispanic, began working for the Millville school district in 2008 as a long-term substitute before becoming a bilingual teacher the following year. The opinion states she taught students in English and Spanish, provided English as a Second Language instruction, developed a bilingual program for learning-disabled students, and later served as a Response to Intervention teacher while continuing to provide translation services for Spanish-speaking students and parents.
The lawsuit centers on a 2021 supervisory vacancy created when the district’s PK-5 Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction for Language Arts, Social Studies, World Language, Bilingual and ESL retired.
According to the opinion, district officials contend they intentionally narrowed the posted position to focus on Language Arts and Social Studies because they were still deciding how to distribute bilingual and ESL supervisory responsibilities and needed someone with extensive English Language Arts curriculum experience.
Judge finds dispute should be decided at trial
While the opinion outlines the district’s explanation for the hiring decision, Judge Bumb concluded the defendants were not entitled to judgment as a matter of law at this stage of the proceedings.
The court denied the motion for summary judgment in full, allowing Cruz’s claims to move forward for a jury or bench trial. The opinion states the court intends to schedule the matter for trial after the parties submit a final pretrial order.
The ruling does not determine whether the Millville Board of Education or Trongone are liable for discrimination. Instead, it finds that the case presents issues that should be resolved through the trial process rather than dismissed before trial.
The court has not yet announced a trial date.