Former HR Director Sues St. James Christian Academy in Fort Pierce, Florida, Alleging Fraud and Safety Violations

Fort Pierce, Fla., attorney Stuart Address announced Thursday that he has filed a lawsuit on behalf of James Brower, a former Human Resources director at St. James Christian Academy, a Christian school on the Treasure Coast. Brower says he is blowing the whistle. The lawsuit alleges that the school has violated state and federal laws.

According to the lawsuit’s allegations, the school committed fraud, committed safety violations, and engaged in employment discrimination. Address said the suit is a whistleblower action seeking damages, and he said Brower was terminated in July.

Brower said he did not take his concerns to state or federal agencies during his year and a half of employment. He said he first tried to raise the issues internally, a choice that reflects honest dealing with the institution he served (Proverbs 11:1).

Brower said he had complained about attendance manipulation, grade changes, and the alleged lack of background checks for certain employees. He described his experience in blunt terms. “Once I got in the middle of it, I recognized there was a lot of problems and you get to the point where you’re just beating your head against the wall,” he said.

Brower also said he tried to resign at one point. He claims that the school’s pastor told him changes would be made, but he says nothing happened.

Address said he hopes outside pressure will prompt a change in the school’s conduct. “Hopefully public pressure, pressure from parents, will cause it to reexamine what it is doing,” he said.

The attorney representing the school told the news outlet he had no comment. A staff member at the school said the pastor who runs the school would like to tell the school’s side next week. The outlet said it is working to get more information.

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