PLAYING FAVORITES
Trenton school worker alleges cronyism, discrimination >>
TRENTON » Mohamed Ahmed’s job was abolished by the Trenton school board on April 30.
But he is not going quietly.
“I am here to blow the whistle on the vicious and illegal activities of the superintendent and the assistant superintendent,” Ahmed said publicly at Tuesday’s school board meeting. “I demand a complete, thorough investigation from an outside legal agency on the illegal activities they have taken against me.”
In his explosive comments, Ahmed, who is an Egyptian Muslim, detailed that he was the victim of “ethnic discrimination, malicious retaliation and corrupt collusion and cronyism.”
Ahmed, who has worked as the district’s family and community engagement specialist for the past five years, detailed things started going awry when he filed a discrimination complaint against a co-worker in August 2017. Ahmed, filed a formal complaint with Lissa Johnson, the district’s chief talent officer and assistant superintendent.
“Instead of protecting me from the racist assailant, the affirmative action officer — with consent of the superintendent — had kept me working under him for four weeks because of my ethnicity,” Ahmed said. “(Johnson) belittled my accusation. She has not done any investigation. She has not called any of the witnesses I requested. Neither the discrimination nor the harassment have been brought to closure.”
Ultimately, Ahmed said he was transferred to work under Ali Robinson-Rogers, who is the district’s chief of staff and public information officer. Robinson-Rogers was hired by Trenton Public Schools once new Superintendent Fred McDowell took over. Both worked together in the School District of Philadelphia and Robinson-Rogers received an annual salary of $125,000.
Once Ahmed’s position was eliminated, McDowell has three times put a position on the school board agenda for special assistant community engagement that Ahmed believes Robinson-Rogers is in line to get. Robinson-Rogers’ position as chief and staff and public information officer was also abolished from the district in April effective July 1.
The school board has taken the new job off the agenda two times so far. It was again on Tuesday night’s agenda but the board did not take any action before press time.
Ahmed said the district “has extracted my position and job description as family and community engagement to create a position for her as a special assistant for family community engagement,” cementing his retaliation claims. Ahmed also alleged Robinson-Rogers does “not have administrative certification.”
Ahmed, who earns an annual salary of $68,000 ultimately bumped a lowerlevel employee receiving a salary of $34,000 to keep a job in the district in IT.
The disgruntled worker believes Robinson-Rogers does not want to see him in the district after she found out he bumped someone.
“She said it to me clearly last week, ‘Why don’t you leave the district and find a job in another place?’” Ahmed said.
Robinson-Rogers did not return a message seeking comment.
Ahmed feels McDowell, who is nearly one year into the job, should be “reported to the FBI.”
“I cannot be terminated nor can my position be abolished for illicit and conspired motives under the federal/state laws,” he said.
Additionally, Ahmed sent an email to all the school board members before the holiday weekend to let them know how he feels about the situation, accompanied with a letter.
“It is a retaliation against me because I filed for a discrimination, and a cronyism by favoring his friend,” he wrote “I strongly feel that it is also a discrimination against me because I am from a different race, different national origin, and have a different religion. It is also a corruption by using the Federal money in illegal practices.”