Brutal reason Catholic school fired first grade teacher 'revealed' (2025)

A Missouri school teacher was fired from her post after only a few months for not being able to manage her classroom or give kids instructions, according to a new lawsuit.

Sharon Nicholas was hired last July as a first-grade teacher at the Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Dardenne Prairie.

Just three months into her role as a first-grade teacher at the school, she was informed that she was being sacked.

In a termination letter, the school's principal Michelle Knapp said that Nicholas was being let go due to classroom management and a lack of effective instructions.

She was given opportunities to learn from other teachers, but even after this period of time there had been a 'lack of growth,' the brutal letter said.

It said: 'Sharon, after providing you opportunities to observe other teachers, receive feedback from administration, and providing you with professional development resources, there has been a lack of growth.'

In a lawsuit filed this week, Nicholas has claimed the school violated her contract by firing her without the promised notice of 30 days.

She also claims they let her go without her severance pay of three months' salary and is seeking damages of over $25,000 in unpaid salary as well as attorney fees.

Nicholas also says the school did not follow her contract's stated reasons for termination, low enrollment or a lack of staff to operate the school.

The suit says that Nicholas had sent a letter to the local archdiocese, who are named as a defendant, to advise them of their breach of her contract.

She claims she has yet to receive any response to that letter from the archdiocese and hasn't received any part of the remainder of her salary from the last school year.

In taking on the role she was being paid a base salary of $38,705, the lawsuit adds.

According to the St. Louis Dispatch the school has over 700 students and is the second largest in the archdiocese.

The outlet said that the recent suit has gave an insight into teacher pay in the archdiocese, which doesn't disclose salaries.

Her suit says that Nicholas had been a teacher for over 15 years and has a 'long list of notable achievements'.

Teachers with the same credentials and experience at the school should be expected to make just over $50,000, the outlet said.

Archdiocese leaders have said in the past that low teacher salaries are a social justice problem for the church.

Raises were on the agenda in 2023 for a restructuring plan in the area that also led to the closure of nine parish schools.

DailyMail.com has approached the archdiocese and the school district for comment.

Missouri

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