ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL ...

in an extramarital affair where sexual activity occurred at the school during the work day. None
of those beliefs was ever validated; they were just rumored. From testimony later taken in
depositions, what did seem obvious was that Tankovich was spending an exceeding amount of
time with Stanley during the work day locked in his office and questions arose. That is where
Black came into play.
Black reported that due to the seedy relationship that seemed to be unfolding before her
eyes, Tankovich had abandoned many of his duties. Consequently, Black had to assume more of
the workload to compensate for the time that Tankovich was spending with Stanley. Tankovich
denied all accusations regarding Stanley and himself as did she when later interviewed.
Coincidentally, Tankovich and Stanley married in 1996 after divorces from their previous
spouses. However, in the spring semester of 1991, Black informed Mifflin Community of
Schools Leader (COSL)--a position likened to an area or school cluster superintendent--Maurice
Blake, of the assumed affair that was taking place and her unexpected burden of work in
compensating for Tankovich.
Following this, Blake met twice with Tankovich, and in the second meeting confronted
the notion of a possible affair, which Tankovich denied. Following another year at the school,
Black was reassigned to Yorktown Middle School. Black did not apply for this reassignment and
declined two other reassignments similar in nature to this one. Black felt that this was a
retaliatory demotion due to the exclusive nature of the Mifflin Alternative School. CPS
maintained that the reassignment to Yorktown was in keeping with policy as it was a position for
which she was qualified and would lessen her disciplinary workload as the school was smaller.
The COSL for Yorktown, Gregory Waddell, explained in a board meeting that he needed
another assistant principal with a strong curriculum background that was preferably African
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