That Baltimore HS where a student made it to senior year passing three classes with 0.13 GPA? The district has been investigating the school since 2019.



Readers of TheBlaze no doubt recall the story earlier this month about a Baltimore high school student who made it to his senior year passing only three courses with a 0.13 grade point average — and yet was ranked near the top half of his class at Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts.

Then he got sent back to the 9th grade — and more than that, his mother said she never knew.

Well, the plot has been thickening.

What now?

Turns out Baltimore City Schools launched an investigation into "irregularities" at Augusta Fells in the summer 2019 and placed the principal and assistant principal on administrative leave, WBFF-TV reported, citing a statement from the district.

But the station said the statement doesn't say that the principal and assistant principal remained on the payroll, to the tune of $365,000 so far.

More from WBFF:

According to online records, former principal Tracy Hicks retired in January 2021. That's 17 months after North Avenue launched the investigation into her school, which still is not complete. Based off her 2018 salary, in those 17 months, Hicks earned nearly $190,000. The assistant principal, Joy Kwesiga, still works for City Schools and is on administrative leave. Since the investigation began, she's earned $175,000. Combined, taxpayers have paid about $365,000 to the administrators of Augusta Fells, as their school has been under investigation.

What did the school district have to say?

The station said Baltimore City Schools issued the following statement:

As part of City Schools' proactive steps upon discovering the issues at Augusta Fells, the principal and one assistant principal were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation and a new principal was brought in. As required by both U.S. Constitutional Law and Maryland Law, when individuals are placed on administrative leave, they are still active employees who are entitled to their pay. This is a step that supports an employee's due process. The former principal has since left the district and is no longer on payroll. The assistant principal remains on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation and disciplinary process, which is expected to be concluded in the coming weeks.

WBFF's Project Baltimore investigative unit said it attempted to contact former Principal Hicks through multiple emails and phone numbers but didn't hear back. Same deal after it mailed her a letter. So a station reporter went to her last known address in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and knocked on the door — and no one answered, WBFF said.

A neighbor told the reporter Hicks moved but offered her cell phone number — and again, the station said it hadn't heard back.

WBFF also said it didn't heard back from assistant principal Kwesiga.

'They do what they're told to do'

Back in September 2019 after Hicks was placed on leave, Jimmy Gittings — president of the principals' union — talked about Hicks, who was also a union officer, WBFF reported.

"Let me be very careful about this. That's why our principals might be doing things that upper management, the public might question," Gittings told the station at the time. "They have no other choice. Either they do what they're told to do, and either be punished for it, or don't do it and get punished."

Gittings also told WBFF that principals are under pressure to improve school data, such as graduation rates and attendance, but aren't always provided the resources to do it — so they have to find other ways.

"You will not get me to publicly or privately say that our principals are doing something that is not right, let's put it that way. Our principals are doing everything possible to ensure that our students are receiving the best education possible. And if they go about it in their way to make sure that a student receives the best education possible, it shouldn't be questioned," he added to the station. "They should not be chastised or punished for it."

Gittings declined to speak to WBFF this time around due to family issues, the station said.

(H/T: Hot Air)

Assistant principal, daughter arrested for allegedly rigging high school homecoming queen election



An assistant principal in Cantonment, Florida, has been arrested along with her 17-year-old daughter over allegations that the pair used the mother's access to student records of high school students to cast false votes in the homecoming queen election that the daughter ended up winning.

What are the details?

Laura Rose Carroll, 50, is an assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School, and her daughter ran for homecoming queen last year as a senior at Tate High School. The teen was crowned queen on Oct. 31.

Both schools are in the Escambia County School District, where administrators have access to a program called FOCUS, which holds student records. In order for students to cast votes for homecoming court, they must provide their school identification numbers and birth dates, The Washington Post reported.

According to the outlet, "some time after the votes had closed" for the homecoming court elections, Election Runner — a program Tate High School uses for student voting — notified the school that a significant number of votes had been flagged as fraudulent.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement stated in a social media post:

In October 2020, hundreds of votes for Tate High School's Homecoming Court voting were flagged as fraudulent, with 117 votes originating from the same IP address within a short period of time. Agents uncovered evidence of unauthorized access to FOCUS linked to Carroll's cell phone as well as computers associated with their residence, with a total of 246 votes cast for the Homecoming Court.
Multiple students reported that the daughter described using her mother's FOCUS account to cast votes. The investigation also found that beginning August 2019, Carroll's FOCUS account accessed 372 high school records and 339 of those were of Tate High School students.

Carroll was arrested with a bond set at $8,500 Monday, and has been suspended from her job. Her daughter was taken into custody and placed in a juvenile detention center, and has been expelled from school.

ABC News reported that the pair "now face third degree felony counts of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks, and electronic devices, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and criminal use of personally identifiable information. They will also face a first degree misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit these offenses."

Assistant principal, daughter charged in computer hack to steal homecoming queen vote www.youtube.com

Assistant principal who went on 'f*** the police' tirade placed on leave: 'They can f*** right off, America!'



The New York assistant principal who went on a "f*** the police" tirade at a Black Lives Matter protest in Rochester has been placed on leave.

"Mr. Steven Lysenko is a tenured administrator with due process rights. He has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation," the Spencerport Central School District's website noted. "We appreciate the outpouring of emails, posts and comments regarding this matter, and we hope you understand that given this is a pending investigation we are unable to respond. Thank you for your patience."

What's the background?

Lysenko of Spencerport High School in suburban Rochester expressed anger during a Facebook Live video Saturday describing an encounter with cops on a bridge.

"Our peacekeepers ended up shooting pepper spray at us for singing and chanting and telling them what a s***ty-assed job they were doing. They can f*** right off, America!" Lysenko said.

"F*** the police!" he screamed while wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt. "F*** Rochester Police Department!"

Here's the clip. (Content warning: Language):

This is Steven Lysenko, assistant principal at Spencerport High School in Rochester. He was at the riot last night… https://t.co/qSaXyL11G2
— Brittany (@Brittany)1599325340.0

The video went viral and reportedly outraged some families, according to WROC-TV.

The school district initially issued a statement denouncing Lysenko's behavior but stopping short of revealing what discipline would be handed down:

Response to a social media video of district employee at the Rochester protest. As we have stated consistently and clearly, Spencerport Central School District stands in solidarity in support of racial equality and systemic change. We remain committed to this change, and want all of our families to know we further stand in solidarity with peaceful protesters. However, when a District employee uses language in public or on social media that does not align with our Code of Conduct or demonstrate appropriate role modeling for students, that is something that we will not condone. These statements by our administrator have caused disruption within our school community. We apologize to our students, parents and community that you had to hear this language from one of our employees.

How are folks reacting?

A Change.org petition demanding the district spare Lysenko has garnered over 7,200 of the 7,500 signature goal as of Tuesday afternoon. Another Change.org petition wants Lysenko fired and has attracted nearly 6,000 of the 7,500 signature goal as of Tuesday afternoon.

One person tweeted that Lysenko "is legitimately the one of very few employees in the SCSD that works to better our district for [people of color] students and families" while another countered that "such crass language and hatred — on a public platform — for [Rochester police] is a disgrace. This does not reflect what Spencerport is truly about."

Lysenko has worked at the district since 2011, and on Sunday he declined to comment to the Democrat & Chronicle.

Anything else?

Protests have raged in Rochester of late, some of which have turned hostile, including protesters tormenting diners. On Saturday night, three Rochester police officers were hospitalized after rioters threw bottles and rocks — as well as shot fireworks — at them.

The unrest stems from the release of bodycam video of the arrest of Daniel Prude, who died while in the custody of Rochester police in March. Seven police officers have been suspended for their involvement in the arrest.

On Tuesday, the city's entire police command staff — including Chief La'Ron Singletary — stepped down over the issue. Singletary said he's resigning because his character was being maligned.

"As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character. The events over the past week are an attempt to destroy my character and integrity," he said.

(H/T: The Police Tribune)