Two Lawsuits Filed Against Gloucester County Institute of Technology Over Discrimination Claims
Two lawsuits have been filed against the Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) in Deptford, New Jersey, by its former principal, Sybil Girard, and the administrator who replaced her, Gina Mateka. Both women allege discrimination and mishandling of staff cuts…
Philadelphia, PA, August 25, 2026 —
Two separate lawsuits have been filed against the Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) in Deptford, New Jersey, by former principal Sybil Girard and her successor, Gina Mateka. Both lawsuits allege discrimination and improper handling of staff reductions by the school and its superintendent, Susan Heiken.
Sybil Girard, who served as GCIT’s first Black principal, has filed a lawsuit claiming racial and gender-based microaggressions, as well as an improper non-renewal of her contract. The details surrounding the alleged microaggressions and the circumstances of her contract non-renewal were not provided in the summary.
Gina Mateka, the administrator who replaced Girard, has also filed a lawsuit. Mateka alleges that her administrative position was eliminated and that she was subsequently demoted to the principal role. She contends that this action was taken in retaliation for a previous lawsuit she had initiated concerning allegations of age and gender discrimination. The specific outcomes of her prior lawsuit were not detailed.
Both lawsuits name GCIT and Superintendent Susan Heiken as defendants. The allegations in both cases center on claims of discriminatory practices and retaliatory actions related to personnel decisions. Further details regarding the specific timelines of these events, the exact nature of the staff cuts, and any responses from GCIT or Superintendent Heiken were not included in the provided summary.
Story summarized from the original created by Sarah Nicell on www.inquirer.com, see more information here.
