Three day suspension for Hillhouse principal

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- The principal of Hillhouse High School in New Haven has been suspended for three days without pay over a grade tampering scandal.

After months of investigating grade tampering at Hillhouse High School, the punishments are coming out.

All along, Principal Kermit Carolina was saying there was no proof that such a thing could have happened, but that wasn't the case.

"The grade reviews shows course titles were changed from summer school, grades were changed, the attendance rules were broken, the coaches and staff changed and modified grades of student athletes." said Mayor John DeStefano.

On the steps of City Hall Carolina stood surrounded by supporters, side-by-side with his attorney. He says, he does not accept the discipline handed down to him: a three-day suspension for grade tampering involving student-athletes. He maintains this is a conspiracy, going all the way to the top.

"This is political vindictiveness on the part of the Mayor," said Carolina, "I refused to make a financial contribution to his campaign, as he makes so many administrators do, and I refused to take a picture with him in front of Hillhouse as part of his re-election campaign."

The Mayor denies it.

"What the grade reviews show, course titles were changed from summer school, grades were changed, the attendance rules were broken, and the coaches and staff changed and modified grades of student-athletes," said Mayor DeStefano.

After the allegations were made by an administrator who, Carolina says, supports the Mayor, the Superintendent hired an outside attorney to investigate. Carolina says, that attorney, Floyd Dugas, was a financial contributor to the Mayor's re-election campaign.

Dugas' reaction was: "It seems to be irrefutable that course descriptions for two student-athletes were changed and the courses looked like something it wasn't. This has nothing to do with any contributions to the Mayor. The facts speak for themselves."

In addition to Carolina, four other administrators were suspended for two days each. The Superintendent says, he wants to move past the scandal and re-focus on the students. From the tone of Wednesday's press conference that seems unlikely.

"You can't drop a stink bomb in our school and then tell us to focus on kids with the bad stench in our building, my attempts here are to simply clear the name of my school and to clear my name," Carolina said.

The administrator who brought the allegations has now filed a defamation suit against Principal Carolina. He says he plans to file a grievance over the three-day suspension.

Below is the news release from New Haven Public Schools:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 26, 2012

SUPERINTENDENT MAYO ISSUES DISCIPLINE FOR HILLHOUSE PRINCIPAL CAROLINA, CALLS ON EVERYONE TO REFOCUS ON STUDENTS

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Mayo met with Hillhouse High School Principal Kermit Carolina this afternoon and issued the following discipline:

• Three-day suspension without pay for his role in overseeing grade and credit changing and inflation, attendance rule changes and preferential treatment of certain students at Hillhouse.
• The suspension will be served Thursday, Sept. 27 – Monday, Oct.1, 2012.
• Carolina will meet with Superintendent Mayo and his director, Dr. Iline Tracey, within 30 days to outline his professional goals for his evaluation (PEVAL).  His conduct in this case will be a factor when setting goals and undergoing evaluation. His performance over the course of the school year will determine how much weight his conduct will hold in your final evaluation.
• Carolina shall attend all professional development for administrators offered by the district this year.
• Carolina shall meet regularly with Dr. Tracey to review his progress toward goals.
• Carolina shall meet with athletic coaches and make it clear in writing that they are not to request grade changes and credit consideration from teachers.

 
Prior to issuing discipline, Superintendent Mayo met with Carolina and involved staff, providing them their due process and an opportunity to respond to the allegations. He heard testimony from each staff member, including a PowerPoint presentation by Principal Carolina and his attorney.

Ultimately, Superintendent Mayo considered the evidence and the testimony and decided to take disciplinary action. The bottom line is that administrators and staff at Hillhouse and Riverside engaged in grade and credit tampering and preferential treatment of certain students. This was not a widespread problem and it seemed to focus on student athletes. Superintendent Mayo also concluded that it appears the intentions of staff were to help students succeed, however, good intentions cannot be a substitute for academic rigor.

"It is time to put this matter behind us and return to our core mission of educating our children. Our role as educators and leaders is to help our students succeed in the classroom, go to college and build a bright future. Any decision we make