A former employee has sued top officials at a Summers County academy that houses 20 at-risk girls, claiming that she was subjected to sexual innuendo, an instructor had inappropriate physical contact with a student and she was fired without cause.

Lisa Sheffield, a former academic director at the Greenbrier Academy for Girls in Pence Springs, alleges in the lawsuit that she was fired the same day she planned to file a report on the school's clinical director, Ron Schwenkler.

Sheffield alleges that Schwenkler had "inappropriate physical contact" with a female student. She did not elaborate on the nature of the physical contact in her lawsuit, filed July 3 in U.S. District Court in Beckley.

Among those Sheffield sued are Greenbrier Academy founder L. Jay Mitchell; his son, chief operating officer Bart J. Mitchell; Schwenkler, who is L. Jay Mitchell's son-in-law, and Greenbrier headmaster and chief executive officer Matthew Hart.

Sheffield also alleges that she was promised a 401(k) retirement plan that she never received and she did not receive the medical, dental and life insurance benefits she was promised in a timely fashion.

In her complaint, she says a Greenbrier Academy employee notified her of inappropriate physical contact between Schwenkler and a student. On March 7, Sheffield told Hart that she intended to file an incident report in keeping with child abuse and neglect provisions of state law, according to the lawsuit.

It is unclear if Sheffield filed the incident report. Her attorney, R. Brandon Johnson of Lewisburg, did not return a follow-up phone message last week.

Later on March 7, Sheffield alleged that Hart and L. Jay Mitchell told her to remove her personal belongings and to not return to Greenbrier Academy, nor make any contact with faculty, staff, students or parents.

In an answer to Sheffield's complaint, the defendants deny Sheffield's claims, but acknowledge that she spoke to Hart about her allegations toward Schwenkler. They also said Sheffield was only told to return her work computer after she accepted another job.

In February, Sheffield was offered a full-time position at a private school in Maryland, according to her complaint.

On March 11, the defendants removed her profile from the Greenbrier Academy Web site and her professional credentials from an affiliated Web site, according to Sheffield's complaint.

She alleged that Bart Mitchell made unwanted and unwelcome sexual innuendo and comments of a sexual nature toward her. She also alleged that at various times during her employment, Schwenkler harassed her and was intimidating toward her.

In their answer, the defendants denied those allegations.

A former employee has sued top officials at a Summers County academy that houses 20 at-risk girls, claiming that she was subjected to sexual innuendo, an instructor had inappropriate physical contact with a student and she was fired without cause.

Lisa Sheffield, a former academic director at the Greenbrier Academy for Girls in Pence Springs, alleges in the lawsuit that she was fired the same day she planned to file a report on the school's clinical director, Ron Schwenkler.

Sheffield alleges that Schwenkler had "inappropriate physical contact" with a female student. She did not elaborate on the nature of the physical contact in her lawsuit, filed July 3 in U.S. District Court in Beckley.

Among those Sheffield sued are Greenbrier Academy founder L. Jay Mitchell; his son, chief operating officer Bart J. Mitchell; Schwenkler, who is L. Jay Mitchell's son-in-law, and Greenbrier headmaster and chief executive officer Matthew Hart.

Sheffield also alleges that she was promised a 401(k) retirement plan that she never received and she did not receive the medical, dental and life insurance benefits she was promised in a timely fashion.

In her complaint, she says a Greenbrier Academy employee notified her of inappropriate physical contact between Schwenkler and a student. On March 7, Sheffield told Hart that she intended to file an incident report in keeping with child abuse and neglect provisions of state law, according to the lawsuit.

It is unclear if Sheffield filed the incident report. Her attorney, R. Brandon Johnson of Lewisburg, did not return a follow-up phone message last week.

Later on March 7, Sheffield alleged that Hart and L. Jay Mitchell told her to remove her personal belongings and to not return to Greenbrier Academy, nor make any contact with faculty, staff, students or parents.

In an answer to Sheffield's complaint, the defendants deny Sheffield's claims, but acknowledge that she spoke to Hart about her allegations toward Schwenkler. They also said Sheffield was only told to return her work computer after she accepted another job.

In February, Sheffield was offered a full-time position at a private school in Maryland, according to her complaint.

On March 11, the defendants removed her profile from the Greenbrier Academy Web site and her professional credentials from an affiliated Web site, according to Sheffield's complaint.

She alleged that Bart Mitchell made unwanted and unwelcome sexual innuendo and comments of a sexual nature toward her. She also alleged that at various times during her employment, Schwenkler harassed her and was intimidating toward her.

In their answer, the defendants denied those allegations.

Sheffield said in the lawsuit that L. Jay Mitchell, Hart and Schwenkler disclosed private details of her employment status with Greenbrier Academy staff and students, as well as members of the public.

She also said those comments made to students and staff were false and derogatory, and the public does not have a legitimate interest in facts that the defendants disclosed.

The defendants denied those claims, but admitted that after Sheffield accepted other employment, they told students and faculty that she accepted a new job.

Johnson, Sheffield's attorney, has filed a motion to remand the case to circuit court in Summers County. The case now sits before U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

Hart said that Charleston attorney Jan Fox advised the defendants to not discuss details of the case.

"We are confident that as litigation moves forward, the truth will come to light," Hart said.

In a February story about the Greenbrier Academy, an official said the per-month cost to attend the boarding school - which is located in the old Pence Springs Hotel - was $6,100.

L. Jay Mitchell once operated the Alldredge Academy in Tucker County, where 14-year-old Massachusetts teenager Ryan Lewis apparently committed suicide by hanging himself with a tent cord in February 2001.

Mitchell is no longer involved with Alldredge, which was eventually sold to Solacium, a Texas-based company. After the boy's death, Mitchell faced a charge of child neglect resulting in death that was later dropped.

In 2006, Mitchell and other defendants settled a civil lawsuit for $1.2 million with Lewis' parents.

"It's horrible that a boy lost his life," Mitchell said in February, but later added, "We don't think we did anything wrong and have not admitted any wrongdoing."

Reach Davin White at davinwh...@wvgazette.com or 348-1254.