Former sheet metal worker for Newark Public Schools, Iris Martinez, is suing the district for wrongful dismissal and lost wages, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and other costs. The whistleblower suit alleges that her superiors in the state's largest school district did not adequately address asbestos exposure she was exposed to on job sites at multiple schools and then fired her for complaining about the situation. The suit names as defendants as defendants the Newark Board of Education, Martinez's supervisor, Shaun Frierson, and the district’s director of project control, Vincent Hutcheson. It demands compensatory damages for lost wages and punitive damages. The district's answer to the complaint repeatedly denies the allegations, stating that the allegations are not true.