Superintendent seeks ouster of principal

A popular principal removed following a student protest at Northeast Academy for Health Sciences and Engineering is facing the loss of her job, the attorney for Sue Starr said Wednesday.

Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Aurora Lora is recommending the termination of Starr, who has been on paid leave since Oct. 25, attorney Robert Redwine told The Oklahoman.

Starr received a letter stating Lora’s recommendation Wednesday, Redwine said.

The attorney declined to provide a copy of the letter or discuss its contents. He said his client has a right to a hearing before the school board can take any action on the recommendation.

“Principal Starr looks forward to her appearance before the board and intends to respond very vigorously to the allegations in the letter,” he said.

In a statement, Redwine characterized the administration’s behavior as “increasingly bizarre.”

“On the one hand, they talk about the importance of exceptional building principals, yet, now they determine a principal that was rated just a few months ago (at the end of the 2017 school year) as ‘Highly Effective,’ is no longer of any use to the district,” he said.

“In addition, the very lengthy delay in producing the letter after suspending Sue, as well as the significant revisions to the suspension letter, is highly suspicious and appears to be the administration’s desperate attempt to try and find something that will persuade the school board to follow their recommendation.”

Lora and her staff, along with several other departments, have occupied space at Northeast, 3100 N Kelley, since July and are expected to do so until the district’s administrative offices are relocated to 615 N Classen in 2019.

About 150 students complained about overcrowding and other conditions at the school during a lunchtime protest Oct. 23.

“We needed our voices heard,” senior Timmy Thongkham said. “Things were not going right here.”

Lora, speaking at that night’s school board meeting, said she met with student leaders following the protest to address their concerns “and clear up some miscommunication and misinformation.”

Parents and students who spoke at the same meeting characterized the district’s occupation of the building as disruptive, complained about overcrowding and said Starr received little support from the district.

Starr was removed by the district two days later with little explanation. A spokeswoman for the district declined to comment Wednesday.