Ex-principal sues district over lack of support
A former elementary school principal reveals in a lawsuit that her students were "subjected to multiple drive-by shootings," including one in which a parent was shot in the shoulder as a result of "gang-related activities" in the neighborhood.
The disclosures were made by former North Highland Elementary Principal Anita Jones, who was demoted in May 2017.
She resigned from Cesar Chavez Elementary, where she was an assistant principal, in November 2017.
Jones filed the federal lawsuit July 3 in Oklahoma City. She is suing Oklahoma City Public Schools over the demotion, claiming interference and retaliation in violation of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
She is seeking $100,000 in damages.
District administrators, including former superintendent Aurora Lora, are accused in the lawsuit of "willfully, knowingly and intentionally" interfering with Jones' rights by "subjecting her to unwarranted investigation, harassing threats of termination, unwarranted negative performance evaluations, and a demotion from Principal to Assistant Principal, all while she was actively on leave under the FMLA."
Jones took several weeks of unpaid medical leave after she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety — conditions the lawsuit alleges were caused by a lack of district support, which included the removal of both assistant principals and elimination of "many of the teacher positions" at North Highland.
Reached Wednesday, Jones said the shootings took place in October 2016 in the neighborhood surrounding the school at 8400 N Robinson, which was recommended for closure by Lora a month after Jones was removed.
"Nobody’s shooting at the school, but it’s in the neighborhood," Jones told The Oklahoman. "The kids are aware and so they come to school and it’s all they talk about. They’re worried about what’s going to happen to them when they walk home from school."
Jones said the parent was shot in her backyard after dropping off her child at school. Jones said another parent was followed home one night and "shot in his driveway."
"I had three of his students in my building," she said. "He was shot multiple times in the back."
Oklahoma City police investigated one incident of vandalism at the school in October 2016, Master Sgt. Gary Knight reported Wednesday. The spokesman said it would be next week before incident reports for the area near the school would be available.
At the time of the shootings, Jones "repeatedly requested resources such as adequate security and additional teachers to assist her ongoing concerns for
the school and the students," according to the lawsuit.
"I said I was concerned about all of the violence and the fact that we no longer had a school resource officer," she said.
Jones said she served for a year with one assistant principal and six months with no assistant principals. "I was the only administrator in that building," she said. "It just seemed very intentional with the way things were being withdrawn.
"I understand budget cuts, but I would think that the safety and the staff members would be the No. 1 priority (for the district)."
In a statement, a spokeswoman said the district "has not been served with a Complaint for this lawsuit, and it is the District's practice not to comment on pending litigation."
In June 2017, following Jones' reassignment, Lora recommended closing North Highland for the 2017-18 school year, calling it a "school in crisis."
"It has become apparent that there is no possible scenario at North Highland that is good for students," she said on June 21, 2017.
At the time, Lora said there were "no solid prospects" to replace Jones as principal. She also said the school's office staff had resigned and only four core teachers were scheduled to return.
Less than a week later, however, Lora changed her mind and decided to staff the school in 2017-18.