Former robotics coach sues for wrongful termination, ‘discrimination,’ ‘harassment’ Tara Kapoor, Senior Staff Writer October 25, 2020
![As Palo Alto High School's robotics coach in 2018, Kathleen Krier aimed to expand the diversity of the team. Almost two years after a series of conflicts with robotics students that led to her resignation in Oct. 2018, Krier has filed a set of lawsuits against the district and a group of robotics students and parents. The cases claim wrongful termination of Krier's employment as well as harassment and homophobic acts towards her. "Defendants [Paly students and parents] intended to disrupt the performance of the agreement [of Krier's employment contract] by having the plaintiff [Krier] removed from her position as coach of the robotics team," court complaints state. "Defendants engaged in such conduct with malice, oppression or fraud." Photo: Eleanor Krugler. Additional reporting: Tony Liao.](https://palyvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/pasted-image-0-900x600.png)
![The Palo Alto High School robotics yard stands empty on Thursday after school. According to build team captain Lawrence Chang, the team’s head coach, Kathleen Krier, has prohibited students from being in a part of the lab without teacher supervision one of several new rules that have caused tensions between herself and the team. “Out of the blue, [she] says that she refuses to supervise the Java shop area,” Chang said. “I ask for clarification … and then she gets really angry at me, saying how I need to stop questioning her authority.” Photo: Benjamin Huang](https://palyvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/DSC_0019-900x600.jpg)