In the world of the Department of Education, when one fights back against a boss, the retaliation is usually swift and forceful. That is what is now happening to Assistant Principal Marc Einsohn at John Bowne High School who sued Principal Howard Kwait in April for punishing him for refusing to go along with grade fixing.
Did a lawsuit stop the principal? The answer is a clear no. In the current environment created by Michael Bloomberg, Joel Klein, Dennis Walcott, Bill de Blasio and Carmen Farina, Kwait responded to the charges by turning up the heat on the retaliation. The lawsuit has been amended, as this local Times Ledger story shows, to add on more allegations.
As many here know, Kwait is no stranger to being sued and costing the city money. From Times Ledger:
This is the fifth suit brought against Kwait during his time as principal at the Flushing High school. In November 2016, former guidance counselor Lauren Prettitore sued Kwait for sexual harassment. In 2015, the city settled for $275,000 with teachers Maria Catenacci and Sally Maya, who sued over sexual harassment as well. In 2012, the city settled for an undisclosed amount with an assistant principal who accused Kwait of discriminating against her because she was pregnant, according to the New York Post. The city also paid $225,000 in a settlement over a student who was falsely accused of sending threatening e-mails.
As we have documented here, Kwait is not an isolated repulsive principal in Queens High Schools. It took a monumental effort from an entire school community to have one acting principal not obtain a permanent position at Townsend Harris. The rest of these principals go merrily along abusing staff with impunity. One small school principal is now charging multiple tenured teachers and a counselor in state dismissal hearings. Another is placing in excess people who filed grievances and giving them adverse job performance evaluations. Do you think the remaining people in those schools are going to stand up for their rights?
Schools succeed when administration and staff work together to serve the students. Anything less than that will usually lead to major problems. The goal of the DOE should be to get people to work collegial way and when that isn't happening, to find solutions and not punish people who speak up.
As for the UFT, there is a NY Teacher article on the agricutural program at John Bowne High School in the latest issue. I understand the current lawsuit is from an assistant principal, but UFT members have been victimized in the past by Kwait (see above) and probably some are in trouble today. Why promote this school?
15 comments:
The UFT is toothless. We have to figure out ways to go after these people. MORE is holding a summer series on July 12 from 3-6PM to address these issues. Hard-Core UFT Contract Discussions - and more -- can teachers protect themselves when the principals have DOE legal and OSI while the UFT leaves people defenseless? There are no easy answers.
Dark Horse
17 Murray St, New York, New York 10007 - downstairs.
I will try to be there Norm.
Perhaps the UFT should organize another protest against the 'Board of Education'. Enjoy the beer there's nothing that can be done except personal lawsuits, publicity and picketing Mulgrew house. Anyone know his address?
I'd join that picket!
Check-out Kwaits ex-lover......Bryant Principal Namita Dwarka for grade fixing and double dipping students to expedite graduation rates, which gives the school NCLB and RFTT federal funds.
Oh, one other thing. The Dwarka is missing $200,000 from her budget.
The spectacular thing is .......... everyone knows about it.
Count me in for the picket at Mulgrew's house too.
Finally a union protest I would be glad to go to.
Judy Henry and AP Santiago from Gateway are sued too. Retaliation, coraption, grade fixing and students abuse. Now the whistle blower is being attacked by most of the staff. It is easy way to score points with admin. Queens UFT protects admin and supi Mendez. How the whistle blower defended himself for 4 years I can not imagine. They still attack him so lawsuits are not always give protection. Only group action and media can get attention to issue of abusive Principals. What about teachers who jump on opportunity and help to attack whistle blowers? What kind of consequences should they face?
Hundreds of ATRs would gladly picket Mulgrew's house. How would that look for the newspapers? Organize that Norm, you'll live on forever in infamy with the UFT.
Onward to Stqaten Island teachers. I think that is where Mulgrew lives.
Let's go!
The teachers who rat out other teachers are scabs. They should be shunned.
Please share info from meeting for those unable to attend for valid reasons, eg. being out of town. It would be greatly appreciated by all.
Dwarka is protected by the Chancellor and the UFT.
Mulgrew is a disgrace for the UFT.
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