Suspension of principal draws questions
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Questions remain on the "whys" and "hows" of five NPS elementary school principals' 48 hour suspensions by administrators Jan. 17-19 remain although three of the five have been reinstated.
Lisa M. Brown, of the Ivy Hill Elementary School, Dorothy Handfield, of Belmont Runyon School; H. Grady James of Hawthorne Avenue School; Tony Motley of Bragaw School; and Deneen Washington, of Maple Avenue School were all suspended with pay for 48 hours. Their suspensions came from the NPS Central Office two days after their speaking out or attending a Jan. 15 community meeting on aspects of the school administration's One Newark plan at the Hopewell Baptist Church.
Brown and Washington, however, have been reporting for administrative duties at the NPS Central Office at 2 Center St., since Jan. 21. "Local Talk" believes that Brown remains away from IVES in part because of her not adhering to NPS's ban of school PTO President Daryn Martin from the property since Jan. 15. Why Washington remains away from Maple Avenue School is not known.
Attorneys for all five principals plus Martin have meanwhile filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court here Jan. 27 against State District Superintendent Cami Anderson and NPS. The six, claiming that the suspension violated their First Amendment rights to free speech, are seeking an injunction against