LAS VEGAS — The Andre Agassi College Prep Academy, the school founded by the US tennis great in North Las Vegas, is accused of racism in a lawsuit filed by a fired teacher, according to a new report.
Biology teacher James Holmes Jr. claims a principal hired by the Nevada school in 2008 favored white colleagues and is seeking $75,000 in damages, according to a report by TMZ.
Holmes, who was hired in 2005, said he was denied opportunities to attend a science conference and obtain new lab materials because of budget restraints.
But after apparently learning the school had granted white teachers a place at the conference and new classroom stock, Holmes filed a complaint to school officials claiming discrimination.
He subsequently was fired. Holmes also claims his replacement was not qualified to teach science lessons.
A spokesperson for the Academy said, “We will aggressively defend the suit because the case is baseless and without any merit.” Agassi was not named in the suit.
The Vegas-born eight-time grand slam winner opened the Academy in 2001, with it later developing into a K-12 school.