Teacher Allegedly Fired For Refusing To Alter Special Ed Test Scores

ISELIN, N.J. — A former Mountainside teacher has filed a lawsuit against the school district and two administrators alleging they retaliated against her for objecting to illegal directives and discriminated against her based on her age.

Christine Lopez, 60, served as a learning disabilities teacher consultant for the Union County district from 2022 until last year.

According to the lawsuit, filed in Middlesex County Superior Court on Nov. 5, Lopez received high performance evaluations before she raised concerns about alleged unlawful testing policies within the district.

The complaint names Mountainside Superintendent Janet Walling and the supervisor of special services, accusing them of directing the staff to minimize the number of students classified for special education services due to budget constraints.

Lopez alleges she was pressured to alter test scores to make fewer students eligible for special education and her refusal led to negative evaluations and ultimately her dismissal.

The allegations in the suit are unfounded, Walling told NJ Advance Media recently via email.

“Unfortunately, because this is a confidential personnel matter, I’m not at liberty to comment other than to say that we trust in the legal process to demonstrate that the claims in the complaint made against the Mountainside School District are unfounded,” she said.

The lawsuit claims that after Lopez objected to the directives, she was issued a letter citing minor errors in reports she had previously submitted — documents that had already been reviewed and approved. Days later, she was informed her contract would not be renewed for the following school year.

Lopez also alleges age discrimination, stating she was replaced by a younger, less experienced educator.

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