Bernalillo schools settle retaliation dispute with former employee
A judge ended Irene Lienhard’s retaliation case tied to W.D. Carroll Elementary School, but the settlement left key questions about Bernalillo Public Schools’ safeguards unanswered.
A Sandoval County judge ended Irene Lienhard’s retaliation case against Bernalillo Public Schools on June 18, 2026, but the settlement did not say whether the district changed any policies, supervisors or reporting channels after her complaint. The court approved a joint motion for dismissal with prejudice, which closes the case in that court and canceled a jury trial that had been set for April 20, 2026.
The filing said the parties had resolved all issues in dispute and wanted to settle. It did not disclose any settlement amount, and it did not include any admission of wrongdoing by Bernalillo Public Schools.
Lienhard, a former custodian at W.D. Carroll Elementary School in Bernalillo, filed the lawsuit in December 2024 after her employment ended in June 2023. Her complaint said she was constructively discharged in retaliation for reporting sexual misconduct by her then-supervisor, and it said the supervisor later resigned after an internal investigation into his conduct against her.
She also alleged that Bernalillo Public Schools failed to renew her contract in April 2023 and later did not rehire her for other positions, even after she was encouraged to apply. In a February 2025 filing, the district denied that it discriminated or retaliated against her. After the settlement, the district said it had no comment.
The case matters beyond one employee because public schools are both education systems and large workplaces, with obligations to protect staff who report misconduct. In New Mexico, sexual harassment is prohibited under the Human Rights Act, and retaliation against people who complain about discrimination is also barred. The New Mexico Human Rights Bureau, part of the state Department of Workforce Solutions, accepts and investigates employment discrimination claims, including sex-based claims.
The settlement lands as Bernalillo Public Schools faces other recent lawsuits and settlements in 2026 that were also resolved without public disclosure of terms. For employees and families in Bernalillo, the unanswered question is not only what happened in this case, but whether the district has put in place any stronger protections so that a worker who reports harassment is not pushed out of a job or left without a clear path to report abuse safely.
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