A New York woman says she was fired last week from her job as a middle school math teacher after a student came into possession of an old topless photo of her without her consent.

Lauren Miranda's firing amounted to sex discrimination, attorney John Ray said in a press release announcing a lawsuit against Suffolk County's South Country School District.

"Lauren Miranda was an excellent math teacher by all accounts," Ray said in a written statement. "Long ago, she sent her topless unremarkable selfie to her companion, never to anyone else. By unknown means, a student obtained it. The school district took possession of it, excoriated her, and fired her because her breasts were displayed. This would never have happened to a male teacher."

Start the day smarter:Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox

Ray's law firm has released the selfie to the media and provided court documents claiming that the Long Island district had objectified women in its handling of the situation. The district claimed Miranda was not a good role model because of the photo, the documents say.

The photo surfaced in January, and Miranda was terminated last week after she had been placed on administrative leave, the law firm claims.

“My career has been ruined, my reputation has been tarnished, I have been stigmatized,” The Washington Post quotes Miranda. “Everything I have worked so hard for since I was 18 years old has been stolen from me because of one innocuous selfie.”

Superintendent Joseph Giani told USA TODAY that the district would not comment on active litigation.

Miranda, 25, took the photo in 2016 and sent it to a romantic partner who also worked at the school, New York City TV station Pix11 reported. She said she does not know how a student came into possession of the photo.

Miranda is seeking $3 million in damages from the school district, documents from Ray, Mitev & Associates, LLP show.