For those who have little to no idea about Seattle Public Schools, well, it quite literally is the largest school district down there in Washington, but right now, there are serious allegations against them. Yes, you must be seeing their name in the headlines lately, and that’s mainly because of two long-time employees who are alleging that they were purposely forced out of their jobs, and it had everything to do with their boss, Aaron Smith, whose attitude was negative towards them. Other than the Seattle Public Schools Aaron Smith Lawsuit, there is a new lawsuit in place, too, so let’s just talk about it all.
Who’s Involved and What Happened?
Aaron Smith is the Director of Culinary Services at the Seattle Public Schools, charged with overseeing school food programs. The lawsuit, however, centers on two women who were working under him:
- Emme Ribeiro Collins: Executive Chef from 2019 to 2023
- Helen Jones: Operations Manager in Culinary Services from 1998 to 2023
Both resigned in 2023: Collins left after four years, while Jones left after two decades and four years of service. The allegation they make is that Smith turned their working environment into an intolerable one.
Emme Collins’ Claims
The main problems began, according to Collins, during a work trip to California in July 2022. She states that Smith made repeated efforts to have her drink alcohol against her will. Things got so uncomfortable that a vendor made arrangements to have an Uber come pick her up so she could leave early.
According to Collins, after the trip, Smith began to isolate her from different projects, limit her access to resources, and downplay her achievements. As an instance, she mentions that magazines with her on the cover were not facing the front, but were turned face down at the office.
The retaliation complaint was filed in November 2022. From January to April 2023, she was on medical leave. During this absence, the food services department was allegedly reorganized by Smith to make her role disappear. He left her off the organizational chart, shut down the deli she was managing, and went ahead to create a new “menu team” without even informing her, and bear in mind that she was the head chef. By May 2023, she resigned.
Helen Jones’ Claims
Her issues began in 2021, says Jones. According to her, Smith asked her to write defamatory remarks about another employee. When she refused, he started ignoring her, gave her no meaningful work, and basically shut down communications with her.
In 2022, Jones approached district leaders, including HR and the Chief Operations Officer, with raised concerns about matters; however, nothing was changed. That same year, she was granted an ADA accommodation to be able to work part-time at home because of health issues. She says that Smith interfered by changing the dates and undermining the accommodation.
Retaliation charges were filed in December 2022. However, by March 2023, the district told her that it would not investigate anymore. By May 2023, she would resign, complaining about a hostile and discriminatory workplace.
What the Lawsuit Covers
The two women legally reported in King County Superior Court, suing Seattle Public Schools and Aaron Smith. Their claims include:
- Retaliation under federal and state law
- Violations of family and medical leave protections
- Violations of disability protections
- Workplace harassment and hostile environment
Furthermore, they charge the administration with carelessness in oversight that led to neglecting the stoppage of Smith.
Seattle Public Schools’ Response
The district went quite a bit silent. Only a very brief statement was made to recognize the lawsuit and notify that the attorneys were looking into it. So far, they have not issued any other responses.
Another Lawsuit Against SPS
Another lawsuit was filed by the Washington Attorney General in 2025. Indeed, it was alleging Seattle Public Schools of discrimination dating back to 2016, claiming that the school district did not procure adequate accommodations for pregnant or nursing employees. Some efforts were made to settle the case, but these failed, and the case was formally filed.