A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has upheld a lower court's decision against a retired school teacher who claimed she was discriminated against by the school board based on her fear of young children.

According to The Associated Press, Maria Waltherr-Willard's breach-of-contract suit against the Mariemont City High School was dismissed in federal court by a three-judge panel on Wednesday, along with age and disability discrimination violations she cited.

In her filing, the 63-year-old Waltherr-Willard alleged she taught French and Spanish at Mariemont for more than 30 years, only to be inexplicably transferred to a middle school in 2009. Waltherr-Willard alleged being forced to teach seventh and eighth graders triggered her phobia, ultimately causing her blood pressure to rise and forcing her into an earlier-than-planned retirement. The suit sought unspecified damages.

Reps for the school district countered by arguing she was transferred because French programs at Mariemont were being converted into an online curriculum. They added the grade school where she was sent was in need of a Spanish instructor.

In rendering its ruling, the appeals court said the lower court was correct in administering its ruling based on several factors. On the breach-of-contract issue, Waltherr-Willard claims that her correspondence with several unidentified school officials created a contract that required Mariemont to keep her at the high school was unfounded.

"The Mariemont School Board undisputedly never ratified such a contract, which means for our purposes that there was not one," the court said in its ruling.

Education Week reported the court added the age-discrimination suit failed because the Spanish teacher the school retained while Waltherr-Willard was being shown the door was only two years younger than her.

The AP reported a message to the District Attorney's office seeking comment on the case went unanswered. Waltherr-Willard's attorney Brad Weber also failed to return a call seeking comment.

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