Teacher ‘Devastated’ After Being Reassigned Over Carpet Removal: Family (Exclusive)

The family of a popular, longtime California sixth-grade teacher who was reassigned after she removed a piece of carpeting in her classroom that covered asbestos tiles is saying that the school district’s move has left her distraught. 

“It absolutely devastated her,” Tim O’Brien, the father of former Phoebe Hearst Elementary school teacher Jeanine Rupert, tells PEOPLE. “Usually when I talk to her, she’s jovial and friendly. But I can’t talk to her about this to an extent without having tears come to her eyes.” 

The incident involving Rupert, 48, and Phoebe Hearst Elementary occurred toward the end of last school year, when the school experienced a flea infestation, NBC affiliate KCRA and ABC affiliate KXTV reported. It was then, according to sixth-grade parents, that Rupert pulled up part of the carpet.

According to the Sacramento City Unified School District, the carpeting covered tiles containing asbestos, which if exposed can cause health issues such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. It is not certain whether Rupert knew about the asbestos before removing the carpet.

Parents maintained that Rupert had repeatedly asked the district to remove the carpeting — a claim that Rupert’s family later confirmed — but her requests allegedly went unanswered, so she and some students pulled it up, KCRA reported. 

“The carpet in her classroom was a clear hazard,” Kathryn O’Brien, Rupert’s sister, says in an email to PEOPLE. “It was worn, unsanitary, was recently infested with fleas, and put the children at risk for tripping and falling.  All of which the district was keenly aware of for many years.

“My sister did what a caring teacher ought to do – she tried to fix the problem,” Kathryn continued. “Teachers are asked to show initiative and fix problems every single day, and 1759277426 she’s being unreasonably punished in a wildly disproportionate manner.”

Brian Heap, Sacramento City Unified School District spokesperson, previously told KXTV that he spoke with the district’s facilities team, who told him that “having asbestos tiles underneath carpet is a pretty standard way that this has been handled over time, in terms of being able to kind of cover up those asbestos tiles and keep them from being exposed.”

He added, “As long as they are not broken or damaged, they aren’t posing any kind of a safety threat to people.”

In a statement shared with KCRA on Thursday, Sept. 4, the district said that an investigation determined that “none of asbestos tiles underneath the classroom carpet had been damaged when students were present. The removal of the carpet did not cause a disturbance that would cause exposure to asbestos.”

The district added, “Nonetheless, now that the investigation is complete, District staff will begin the process of reaching out to individual families to reassure them of their student’s safety and provide any necessary support.”

Tim says that the district was considering having Rupert return to the classroom for the start of this school year with her contributing to the cost of the carpet replacement. But then, he says, the district changed its mind and decided to reassign her to another school. 

Noting that his daughter has been “part of the Phoebe Hearst community for 23 years,” he says “she’s developed a very good reputation there. She has a great following. The teachers, the parents love her. The kids love her. To have her being yanked out, it really hurt her.”

Kathryn says that, to her knowledge, “two other male teachers had previously removed carpeting from their classrooms without consequence. And this fact has not made it into the discourse thus far for some reason.”

Rupert and her husband have four children — two of whom are in the sixth grade at Phoebe Hearst, says Tim.

“Those kids have been going to school with her ever since kindergarten,” he explains. “They’d go to school with their mom and come home with their mom. They really don’t understand what’s going on. And they’re getting questions asked for them and things, and it’s tough on them, too.”

The reassignment of Rupert to another school has been unpopular among Phoebe Hearst’s students and their parents. On Thursday, Sept. 11, they protested outside of the district’s offices, KXTV reported. 

In a statement shared with KCRA about the protest, the district said: “The Board remains confident in our personnel process and in our staff’s commitment to serving the best interests of our organization and community.” 

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, the same outlet reported that Phoebe Hearst’s sixth-grade students walked out of class to further protest Rupert’s removal, then proceeded to demonstrate with their parents.

Rupert’s father expressed gratitude to the Phoebe Hearst community for their support of his daughter.

“I would like to thank the thousands of parents and students who have come out in the support of Jeanine,” Tim tells PEOPLE. “That’s really been helpful.”

In a statement later shared with PEOPLE, Heap said that the Sacramento City Unified School District does not comment on personnel matters, but he added, “After a District investigation, the decision was made to reassign the teacher to a different school.”

Heap stated, “In general, there are times that after a lapse in judgment has occurred, what is best for both the teacher and the impacted school community is a separation and fresh start. Throughout this process, we have heard families and given thoughtful consideration to their concerns.”

He added, “While we are not changing any of our decisions, we continue to value the passion and enthusiastic support that families provide to Phoebe Hearst Elementary.”

Kathryn says that Rupert is “incredibly distraught over this,” adding, “not only is my sister suffering greatly, but there is a classroom of 6th grade students currently being taught by substitute after substitute as they attempt to find a replacement for my sister.”

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Tim tells PEOPLE his daughter is currently on sick leave and is taking time off from teaching at her new school. Meanwhile, Rupert’s mother recently suffered a stroke amid the controversy, says Kathryn.

Rupert was unavailable to comment to PEOPLE.  

In an email to PEOPLE on Monday, Sept. 29, Heap said that the district has no additional comment.