Sherrygay Champagnie v. Pace Center for Girls, Inc. and Mary Marx

District Court, M.D. Florida·Decided August 18, 2026·No. 3:25-cv-00518·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA JACKSONVILLE DIVISION

SHERRYGAY CHAMPAGNIE,

Plaintiff,

v. Case No.: 3:25-cv-518-WWB-PDB

PACE CENTER FOR GIRLS, INC. and MARY MARX,

Defendants. / ORDER THIS CAUSE is before the Court on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Second Amended Complaint (Doc. 48)1 and Plaintiffs’ Opposition (Doc. 51). For the reasons set forth below, Defendant’s Motion will be granted. I. BACKGROUND Plaintiff, Sherrygay Champagnie, is a black woman of Jamaican national origin. (Doc. 46, ¶ 5). Plaintiff worked as a math teacher for Defendant, Pace Center for Girls, Inc, (“PCGI”) at the Collier Center in Immokalee, Florida from April 6, 2020, until her “constructive discharge” on September 1, 2021. (Id. ¶¶ 5, 17). PCGI is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida that operates educational centers throughout Florida. (Id. ¶ 10). Defendant Mary Marx was the Chief Executive Officer of PCGI during the relevant times of Plaintiff’s employment. (Id. ¶ 11). Plaintiff alleges that

1 After Defendants filed their Motion to Dismiss, Plaintiffs Rosene Johnson, Anne- Marie Mavenyengwa, LaVita Johnson-Spears, and Chantell Miles settled their claims against Defendants. (See Doc. 64 at 1; Doc. 66 at 1; Doc. 72 at 1). Therefore, the Court’s analysis is limited to the claims asserted only by Plaintiff Champagnie. Defendants engaged in a “systematic pattern and practice of racial discrimination” against her and other black employees beginning in the spring of 2021. (Id. ¶¶ 15–16). Champagnie was supervised by Tim Snyder, a white male. (Id. ¶ 17). Plaintiff alleges she began to face discriminatory treatment in the fall of 2020 from Snyder. (Id. ¶

19). On various occasions, Plaintiff alleges Snyder would “barge into her classroom” to solicit negative feedback from students without notice, and “disclosed her medical information to students without consent.” (Id. ¶¶ 19, 21). Snyder allegedly dismissed “student verbal abuse” toward Plaintiff by saying she was “too sensitive because she was Jamaican” and “that is how they are in Jamaica.” (Id. ¶ 24). Snyder also, in front of students, allegedly told Plaintiff that she could not vote because she is not a citizen, causing students to ask if she was “illegal.” (Id. ¶ 23). According to Plaintiff, Snyder would also invasively surveil her by following her to restrooms and waiting outside for her. (Id. ¶¶ 19, 22). Other times, Snyder would allegedly physically grab her arm to demand meetings, including meetings outside of work

hours. (Id. ¶¶ 21–22). Snyder allegedly did not treat other white, non-Jamaican teachers the same way, including Laurel Sandidge, a science teacher, and Mike Miller, an English teacher. (Id. ¶¶ 20, 25). Because of Snyder’s alleged conduct, Plaintiff reported him to Executive Director Marianne Kearns on October 20, 2020, and November 2, 2020, and to PCGI’s Human Resources Manager, Shannon McQuinn, multiple times between October 2020 and May 2021. (Id. ¶¶ 26–27). Neither Kearns nor McQuinn took any corrective measures. (Id.). After Plaintiff filed her complaints, her alleged mistreatment grew. Staff would allegedly call her “N----r,” “B---h,” and “C--t,” with the consent of Snyder and Kearns. (Id. ¶ 28).2 Snyder increasingly interrupted Plaintiff’s classroom and engaged in stalking behavior. (Id.). On April 26, 2021, English teacher Mike Miller allegedly banged on an office door so loudly while Plaintiff was on an emergency medical call that her physician asked if he should call police. (Id. ¶ 30). In fear for her safety, Plaintiff began to hide in

locked classrooms and only moved to and from her classroom and vehicle with an escort. (Id. ¶ 28). Kearns allegedly dismissed Plaintiff’s concerns as a product of anxiety and told her that she should not tell others she was harassed. (Id. ¶ 31). Kearns also told Plaintiff that Snyder would not be removed and that anything she said would get back to management. (Id.). Plaintiff later reported both Snyder and Kearns to PCGI’s Chief Financial Officer, Thresa Giles, on May 6 and 7, 2021. (Id. ¶ 32). According to Plaintiff, an investigation conducted by PCGI’s in-house counsel substantiated her allegations of harassment. (Id.).3 As a result of that investigation, Plaintiff alleges that PCGI leadership, including Marx, initially arrived at the Collier Center to terminate both Kearns and Snyder. (Id. ¶ 33).

However, Marx instead ordered a second investigation into Plaintiff’s claims, which ultimately reached an opposite conclusion. (Id.). Plaintiff alleges that neither she nor any corroborating witness were interviewed in the second investigation. (Id.).

2 Plaintiff also alleges that staff members disparaged others on the basis of national origin. For instance, Plaintiff alleges that, on January 6, 2021, Snyder “condoned staff members discussing how to harm Vice President Kamala Harris, ‘the Jamaican.’” (Doc. 46, ¶ 29). She further alleges that a Program Director, Kelly Starke, “laughed” at that discussion and “allowed [it] to continue.” (Id.).

3 Plaintiff alleges she faced retaliation from Kearns after this first investigation. At one point, Kearns asked Plaintiff, “why are you still here?” (Doc. 46, ¶ 34). After the second investigation was finished, PCGI allegedly prohibited Plaintiff from entering the Collier Center, denied her request for a transfer to a nearby center, and offered to transfer her to the Citrus Center approximately 230 miles away. (Id. ¶ 35). PCGI then denied Plaintiff’s request for relocation assistance, which Plaintiff alleges

forced her constructive discharge on September 1, 2021. (Id. ¶ 36). Based on the foregoing, Plaintiff brought this suit, alleging that Defendants are liable to her for discrimination, retaliation, hostile work environment, and constructive discharge pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1981. (Id. ¶¶ 41–83). II. LEGAL STANDARD “A pleading that states a claim for relief must contain . . . a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), a party may move to dismiss a complaint for “failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” In determining whether to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), a court accepts the factual

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Sherrygay Champagnie v. Pace Center for Girls, Inc. and Mary Marx, (M.D. Fla. 2026).

Sherrygay Champagnie v. Pace Center for Girls, Inc. and Mary Marx (Sherrygay Champagnie v. Pace Center for Girls, Inc. and Mary Marx) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Jose Bedoya v. Hilti, Inc.
159 F. App'x 91 (Eleventh Circuit, 2005)
Stephanie Tippie v. Spacelabs Medical
180 F. App'x 51 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
Walker v. Prudential Property & Casualty Insurance
286 F.3d 1270 (Eleventh Circuit, 2002)
Ronald Shields v. Fort James Corporation
305 F.3d 1280 (Eleventh Circuit, 2002)
Wagner v. Daewoo Heavy Industries America Corp.
314 F.3d 541 (Eleventh Circuit, 2002)
Sandra Jackson v. BellSouth Telecommunications
372 F.3d 1250 (Eleventh Circuit, 2004)
Webb-Edwards v. Orange County Sheriff's Office
525 F.3d 1013 (Eleventh Circuit, 2008)
United Technologies Corp. v. Mazer
556 F.3d 1260 (Eleventh Circuit, 2009)
Bryant v. CEO DeKalb Co.
575 F.3d 1281 (Eleventh Circuit, 2009)
McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green
411 U.S. 792 (Supreme Court, 1973)
Saint Francis College v. Al-Khazraji
481 U.S. 604 (Supreme Court, 1987)
Pennsylvania State Police v. Suders
542 U.S. 129 (Supreme Court, 2004)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries
553 U.S. 442 (Supreme Court, 2008)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Larry Bonner v. City of Prichard, Alabama
661 F.2d 1206 (Eleventh Circuit, 1981)
Erin Tonkyro Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs
995 F.3d 828 (Eleventh Circuit, 2021)
Rami Ziyadat v. Diamondrock Hospitality Company
3 F.4th 1291 (Eleventh Circuit, 2021)