New Utrecht H.S. Teacher Fired Because She Refused To Help Student Cheat, Lawsuit Alleges

Ivy Lin, a 34-year-old science teacher, has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education (DOE) and the city over allegations that she was fired for not letting a student cheat a Regents exam at New Utrecht High School (1601 80th Street). The New York Post is reporting that Lin suffered harassment at the hands of other teachers after complaining to the school’s principal about the incident, which ultimately led to her firing.

Lin, who is nontenured, had been working for the DOE since 2007, making $65,000 a year. The Post explained how the circumstances around the firing:

Ivy Lin, 34, of Queens, was proctoring the Living Environment test at New Utrecht HS in Bensonhurst in January and refused to accept the test paper of a student who had taken extra time to complete the exam, and said he had been given the time by another teacher.

When a fellow science teacher asked Lin to accept the senior’s exam, she again refused and that teacher called her a “f–king bitch,” Manhattan Supreme Court papers allege.A second teacher said the student “really needs to get out of here and graduate,” and a third told her, “Keep quiet about this. Trust me. They don’t like people who make a fuss here,” according to Lin’s suit.

Lin was later hospitalized after being hit by a car, which caused her to miss work and be fired. According to the Post, Lin is seeking back pay and a return to full employment.