Former Drexel school custodian says school district illegally fired her

Taylor Parlier, a former custodian at Drexel Elementary School, has filed a lawsuit against the Burke County Board of Education and several district administrators, alleging she was wrongfully fired after raising concerns about school safety. Parlier worked at the school from June 2024 to May 2025.

Parlier alleges in the lawsuit, which she filed in June, that after she raised safety concerns and requested a transfer to another school, she suffered from a pattern of retaliation, due process violations, and was unlawfully terminated from the job.

The legal case names the Burke County Board of Education, Drexel Elementary Principal Leanna McKinney, Former Director of Custodial Operations Mark Wheeler, Director of Maintenance Bob Acord, Human Resources Director Keith Recker, Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan, and Tiana Beachler, chairwoman of the Board of Education, as defendants.

Parlier’s allegations include:

• In March 2025, she reported serious safety concerns, including after-hours access to the school by unauthorized individuals connected to a former employee. Parlier said she reported the concerns to McKinney and Wheeler;
• She made repeated, formal requests for a transfer, due to health and safety concerns, and these requests were ignored. Instead, Parlier ascertains, she was met with escalating scrutiny;
• On March 24, 2025, Drexel Elementary was targeted by a school shooting threat, which, according to Parlier, occurred shortly after her safety concerns had been dismissed;
• On May 12, Parlier was approached by Recker and law enforcement officials, told she was terminated, and forced to surrender her badge and keys. Parlier said she was not provided with prior written notice or a hearing;
• She was not given an opportunity to defend herself against termination and did not receive official documentation until after the removal occurred, which Parlier claimed violated Board Policy 7940, as well as a North Carolina General Statute;
• That Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan directed that her grievance materials be submitted to him, despite being a named party in the complaint, violating Board Policies 2500 and 1750/7220;
• Parlier claims she has no disciplinary documentation before her March 13 complaint, but following that date, retaliatory records were added to her personnel file, including a termination email she said was sent during the May 12 incident;
• That this retaliation was coordinated at multiple levels by McKinney, Wheeler, Acord, Recker, and Swan, and Board of Education Chair Beachler failed to intervene despite notice.

During the March 24 incident, Drexel Police arrested Brandon Dean Johnson for a school shooting threat toward Drexel Elementary. They charged him with communicating a threat of mass violence on educational property.

According to police reports, the Drexel Police Department seized firearms, cartridge magazines, ammunition, a ballistic vest, and other items at Johnson’s 609 S. Main St. residence, which is just down the street from Hallyburton Academy and is also only a short distance from Drexel Elementary School.

Parlier’s lawsuit claims she suffered loss of income, health insurance, and job stability, which she said led to the disruption of medical care and out-of-pocket health expenses and aggravation of physical and mental health conditions. She also claims she suffered “public embarrassment, reputational damage and emotional trauma” as a result of being terminated.

Superintendent Swan said the district denies the charges. “We feel everything was handled appropriately and there was no wrongdoing, and we will defend any lawsuit vigorously,” Swan stated.

He said the safety concerns were handled appropriately through all law enforcement channels.

Parlier said the defendants have a deadline of Aug. 8 to respond to the lawsuit in court.