A Brooklyn
federal jury has awarded $523,000 to a public-school teacher who charged that
her principal took revenge when she rebuffed his sexual demands — and that
the city Department of Education turned a blind eye.
The hefty
verdict for special-ed
teacher Shaunte Penniston includes $98,000 in back pay, $275,000 for
pain and suffering, and $150,000 in punitive damages against principal Antonio
K’tori and the DOE.
“I was
vindicated,” said Penniston, who cried in relief at the jury award. “I got to
tell my story to eight strangers who believed me.”
Her ordeal
shows how the DOE — which last year tallied 186 sex-harassment complaints — has
swept some cases under the rug.
Rather than
investigate her complaint, the DOE let K’tori retaliate and District 29
Superintendent Lenon Murray — himself later convicted of forcible
touching — terminate Penniston on bogus charges of poor performance, she
alleged.
“The DOE
allows predators to remain in schools,” Penniston said. “He was given a
platform to do this.”
I don't know what else to add other than to say when something similar happened in the 1990s at Jamaica (nobody was fired for rebuffing the principal but they certainly had their lives made miserable), the UFT was at least somewhat on it. When a DOE Superintendent who is now a NYS Regent tried to reassign the principal to another school in the early Joel Klein era, we helped to publicize it almost immediately so the DOE had to rescind their decision.
Thats what our dues get us.
ReplyDeleteGet paid, get abused, shut up.
What I don't understand is, why don't you people do something about the UFT? At the very least vote for UFT Solidarity. Try to form a movement to defund the UFT by abolishing compulsory union membership dues and push the idea that the UFT isn't a good union or that you simply don't want them anymore. The UFT has way too much corruption to be saved in my opinion. They're useless at being what you need them to be. Totally disgusting. I hate them. The UFT is a fake union. It's time to fight the UFT just as much as it is time to fight NYDOE.
DeleteThe UFT has a deal with the CFA to leave their principals (principles?!) alone. Mulgrew admitted it once and then denied it.
ReplyDeleteI interviewed with that slime ball. It was my first interview after my first excess about ten years and 5 schools ago. He offered me the gig and I ran for the hills. We spoke for a half an hour after he had me waiting for over an hour because he was out to lunch with his secretary or some other office lady and when I left I remember thinking I had never yet met such a low life of a human. He basically told me he was God of the school and did what he wanted. My first look at an evil admin, but certainly not my last......
ReplyDeleteWhere is the UFT?
ReplyDeleteThey are corrupt and useless.
DeleteThis guy, who has a huge job for the doe, wont even say the name of the President of America. That is completely inappropriate. Cant combine job and politics, I thought
ReplyDeletePAUL FORBES...Executive Director of Educational Equity, Anti-Bias and Diversity within the Office of Equity & Access (NYC Dept. of Education
If that's not a joke that shows there's just too much deep state in the NYCDOE. It's time to eliminate the DOE. It's a cesspool of corruption.
DeleteDOE Chancellor, on Presidents Day, posts pic of Obama instead of current President? That oppressed chancellor makes over $350k per year.
ReplyDeleteSexual harassment, intimidation, threats, etc...all welcome at DOE schools. We don't have a union. Only the anti-union NYPost stops it.
ReplyDeleteThat's so ironic because the Post hates teachers. I wonder what's in it for them to report something that teachers can use to point their fingers at the NYCDOE.
DeleteEVERYONE STRIKES, EXCEPT US. I GUESS WE ARE HAPPY AND CONTENT. And now West Virginia teachers have announced a statewide strike starting tomorrow to stop a bill in the state legislature making huge education cuts and introducing charter schools, among other things.
ReplyDeleteThis strike wave is amazing.
As they say in Chicago, when we fight, we win.
ReplyDeleteWhen we never fight, we get sexually abused and get no help from our union and have to sue in court. Welcome to NY.
ReplyDeleteFormer students that got worthless diplomas should sue. Those that are hurt by negligence, indifference and political correctness should sue. Every facet of the DOE is tainted. Eventually it will open the door for charters to take everything.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is the UFT has too much power and it's no longer a real union. The UFT is a fake union. A fake teacher's union that higher-up UFT brass use for their benefit. It's time to end compulsory union membership.
ReplyDeleteI told them....keep defending you. All praises.
ReplyDeleteWho can you go to when. the department of equal opportunity EOE, the department of Education and the UFT union has wronged me in the cover up of an investigation?
ReplyDeletePress or federal EEOC or state. Email us details.
ReplyDelete