Grade tampering allegations examined

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- It's the latest chapter in a fight between the principal of New Haven's Hillhouse High School and the Mayor over allegations into grade tampering.

A meeting started shortly before 5 p.m. between the superintendent and the principal.

Walking into the meeting, Hillhouse Principal Kermit Carolina said he felt confident. When asked if he was concerned about losing his job he said, "no, not at all. I don't think anything here even comes close to warranting my termination."

Carolina has been fighting allegations of grade tampering involving athletes at Hillhouse. An administrator made the accusations: a woman, they say, who was herself being disciplined.

"Miss Joyner made eight allegations, seven of those eight were found to be unsubstantiated, seven," said attorney Michael Jefferson.

The 8th charge was that a teacher changed the course description for two student-athletes, so it wouldn't show that it was a basic level summer course. This was allegedly done in order to deceive the NCAA, and was allegedly done with the principal's knowledge.

Carolina says the summer course was taken at Riverside Academy and that those classes are not basic level, and on the transcripts they appeared as they always have in the past. However, Carolina has said that's not what this is really about. He says, this is really retaliation because he refused to support Mayor John DeStefano in his campaign for re-election last year. DeStefano has denied that, but Carolina has been quite outspoken about it all.

"I feel very passionate about my reputation, I think I've worked extremely hard for it," Carolina said. "I have nothing in my record that shows that I've ever done anything wrong and any time your character and integrity is questioned, you know, you're gonna fight."

Their fight, a PowerPoint presentation addressing each charge, was delivered to the Superintendent on Friday afternoon.

Superintendent Reginald Mayo released this statement: "... Kermit Carolina is being given his due process on this matter and I will consider all the facts when deciding on appropriate action to take."

"If they absorbed what we said and took into strong consideration the points we made, I think Kermit Carolina should be okay," said Jefferson, "I think he should be vindicated."