Dr. Fabre Ford, principal of Southwest Elementary School in Fayette County, has launched a lawsuit against the Fayette County Sheriff's Office (FCSO), citing a violation of her civil rights following her arrest earlier this year. Ford's legal action comes after charges against her were dropped, which involved an incident where a student allegedly hit a teacher with a metal thermos, leading to accusations from the sheriff's office of evidence tampering on Ford's part, as reported by Action News 5.
The legal documents state that Ford is asking for a minimum of $1 million in compensatory damages for mental and emotional distress, as well as for court and attorney fees. Moreover, the lawsuit demands a trial by jury, in the altercation, Ford's reaction was characterized as "an unprecedented abuse of power" to retaliate against her, with allegations of the sheriff's department presenting false information about her actions, according to Local Memphis. The charges initially brought against Ford were ultimately dismissed in March after a subpoena issued to the school acquired all evidence needed for the investigation which prompted the District Attorney’s Office to drop the case.
According to the lawsuit, Ford describes the repercussions of the sheriff's department's actions as having "changed the life" of Ford and criticizes how her image was "plastered on worldwide media" facing the "most vile and callous nature" of allegations, as per Action News 5. Ford states that these events led her to undergo "excruciating public humiliation" and that she "continues to suffer from emotional stress."
Details of the incident reveal that a student apparently slapped and then struck a teacher with a metal Stanley cup, information brought to light by authorities, a situation Ford says she handled internally without reporting it to law enforcement, which eventually resulted in her being arrested and charged with tampering with evidence as outlined by FOX13 Memphis. In the lawsuit, Dr. Ford counters this narrative, asserting that the teacher was not injured and had no intentions to press charges against the student.
