Tuesday, September 16, 2008

E-mails claimed to be parents' efforts to oust Petrilli

This from H-L:
A month before confronting the Fayette school district superintendent with complaints about Booker T. Washington Academy Principal Peggy Petrilli, a parent urged the principal's critics to compile a list of everything that negatively affected black parents, "no matter how inconsequential it appears."

On July 26, 2007, William "Buddy" Clark forwarded an e-mail to his wife, Alva, and site-based decision making council member Jessica Berry, according to records filed in Petrilli's racial discrimination lawsuit against the Fayette County Board of Education and Superintendent Stu Silberman.

"We need a list of everything that has happened over the past year which negatively affected black parents, students, teachers, or the community," Buddy Clark wrote. "Include everything no matter how inconsequential it appears. Failure to develop black talent will have a future negative effect."

Petrilli's lawyers claim the e-mail is "smoking gun" proof that Petrilli's departure from the predominantly black elementary school was racially motivated. Petrilli, who is white, was principal at Booker T. Washington from March 2005 to August 2007.

Petrilli accuses Silberman of illegally forcing her to resign in August 2007 to placate her black critics...

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