EDITOR’S NOTE: This story as originally published contained incorrect information. Shannon Doughty is a teacher in the Gulfport School District. We regret the error and are happy to set the record straight.

NATCHEZ — Two former administrators in the Natchez-Adams School District have filed lawsuits against the district seeking damages for their alleged wrongful firing.

The lawsuits name the district and Superintendent Frederick Hill as defendants.

The most recent filing, an April 20 civil lawsuit filed by Shannon Doughty in Adams County Circuit, alleges wrongful termination based on speculation about test scores rather than facts.

Doughty had worked in education for 18 years when she was promoted as assistant principal at Natchez High School for the 2013-2014 academic year. The lawsuit alleges Hill approached her about applying for the position, and told Doughty and others their employment as administrators would be subject to the results of statewide school accountability tests.

In February 2014, then-NHS principal Fred Butcher recommended Doughty’s reappointment to the position, but the lawsuit alleges in April of that year Hill and the NASD Human Resources Director Patsy Smith told Doughty she would not be renewed as an assistant principal. The prediction of a failing grade on accountability tests — based on practice tests given earlier in the year — was the reason given for the non-renewal.

The NASD school board ratified the non-renewal in April.

When accountability results were made public in October 2014, they showed the school had not failed but had instead improved to a passing grade — a “D” rating — during the 2013-2014 school year.

“The results of the actual accountability tests provided an objective assessment of the school’s performance for the entire school year, but were not available to even be considered when the defendants made the decision to terminate the plaintiff,” the lawsuit reads.

Doughty currently works for the school system in Gulfport as a teacher, but maintains a house in Natchez.

Doughty’s lawsuit seeks damages for lost wages and benefits; living and moving expenses and lost employment opportunities; mental anguish; “loss of enjoyment of life, loss of society, pain and suffering, humiliation and embarrassment;” actual and compensatory damages and “other damages to be established.”

Doughty’s lawsuit follows that of Cindy Idom, filed last May in federal court and naming the NASD, Hill and Deputy Superintendent Tanisha W. Smith as defendants.

Idom was fired by the district at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year after 11 years as a principal at West Elementary School and shortly after she was reassigned to Frazier Elementary School against her wishes. In the filing, Idom, who is white, claims to have been bullied for racial reasons and faced standards black principals did not.

The lawsuit alleges during the first year of the school district’s regrouping from grade-based to neighborhood-based schools, West was unable to accommodate the increase student population and that temporary measures to address the issue — portable buildings — were unusable even after delivery and work was not completed until after the school year was over.

The space issues were compounded by the first year of entering testing at West, and the lawsuit alleges “several subpar teachers” were reassigned to the school while “several good teachers” at West were transferred or forced to retire.

The lawsuit claims Idom received censures in instances for which black principals in the same situation did not receive disciplinary action.

“During the … school year, defendants Hill and Smith, acting on behalf of the district, constantly harassed (Idom) and deliberately created a hostile work environment at West Elementary that was pervasively abusive, intimidating and affected (her) work — all on account of her race and/or which other African-American principals in the district did not receive,” the lawsuit claims.

The filing also alleges Hill and Smith would visit West every two weeks and peek into classrooms “to try to scare teachers into performing their job. They did not encourage or offer teamwork to help solve problems. Neither offered any type of encouragement or complimented job performance. (Idom) was constantly frustrated and exhausted from the demanding, high-pressure environment created by them.”

The lawsuit says the transfer to Frazier did not allow Idom the chance to improve West’s tests scores, which had only one year’s testing behind it.

When Idom was removed as principal at Frazier, she was offered a teaching position, which the lawsuit calls “a degrading demotion.”

“Hill and Smith alleged that the district’s test results for the 2012-2013 school year provided the basis for (Idom’s) abrupt removal from office and demotion, yet at that time the results were unavailable,” the federal filing says.

The lawsuit alleges Idom had to submit retirement papers that day to avoid the embarrassment associated with being demoted, and she was never allowed an opportunity for a hearing. Idom was the only principal removed that year.

The parties briefly discussed settling the case last month, but no settlement was reached.

Idom is seeking unspecified damages for lost past and future wages; mental anguish and emotional distress; damages to reputation, pain and suffering, humiliation and embarrassment; actual and compensatory damages; incidental and consequential damages; punitive damages; attorney’s fees and “other damages to be established.”

Idom declined to discuss the lawsuit Wednesday.

Hill did not return a phone message seeking comment Wednesday.