SOUTH BEND — The South Bend Community School Corp. (SBCSC) human assets investigation about Jesus Pedraza, a former elementary college principal who was positioned on depart, has ended with a suggestion that he be reassigned.
Pedraza could have the chance to deal with the SBCSC college board throughout an Govt Closed Session at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, on the web site of the district’s new headquarters, Brown Group Studying Middle. This implies the assembly will probably be closed to neighborhood members and members of the press.
Nonetheless, Pedraza mentioned he would have most popular that the assembly happen throughout an open session on the subsequent recurrently scheduled board assembly on Oct. 7.
“Then we might have folks come out and assist me,” he mentioned. “As it’s now, it is gonna be arduous for me to get the phrase out for folks to come back out to Brown college … for this coming Monday.”
Here is what we all know.
Who’s Jesus Pedraza?
Pedraza mentioned he has been a SBCSC worker for over 20 years and served as principal of McKinley Elementary College for eight. Whereas at McKinley, he mentioned he established the college’s Twin Language Immersion (DLI) program, rising the coed inhabitants by greater than 100 college students.
This college 12 months, on account of the consolidation project seen throughout the district, McKinley merged with Edison Center College to type a Okay-8 college. Pedraza mentioned he was informed by college officers that he would retain his place as Okay-5 principal, working alongside the 6-8 principal, Sean Dillon. Nonetheless, shortly earlier than the time period started, he was informed that had by no means been the plan and that he can be assistant principal to Dillon; Pedraza referred to this as a “demotion.”
Why was Pedraza positioned on depart?
Pedraza has been on paid administrative depart since Aug. 20, after Dillon filed an HR grievance towards him alleging Pedraza had engaged in office intimidation.
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In accordance with Pedraza, Dillon volunteered to take some back-to-school newsletters “downtown” to be despatched to oldsters, offering them details about the beginning of faculty in each English and Spanish. The letters have been by no means despatched out, Pedraza mentioned, that means a number of Spanish-speaking college students didn’t present as much as college till the third day of lessons attributable to confusion over when the time period started.
The HR investigation report says Pedraza referred to as Dillon into his workplace on Aug. 20 to ask why the letters weren’t despatched, changing into “verbally aggressive, utilizing profanity and unprofessional language, referring to colleagues on the district as liars.” Pedraza denies the allegations, saying that whereas he was upset, he didn’t use profanity or threaten Dillon.
Dillon filed a grievance towards Pedraza that very same day, which started the HR investigation and meant Pedraza was positioned on paid depart.
What’s within the HR report?
Dated Sept. 16, the report summarizes the SBCSC HR division’s findings from the investigation.
Findings embrace that Pedraza was informed there would solely be one Edison principal, and he wouldn’t be principal attributable to “long-standing efficiency deficits.” Nonetheless, Pedraza supplied paperwork from SBCSC officers stating the other, together with a doc despatched to McKinley households from Assistant Superintendent Diamond Robinson itemizing each Pedraza and Dillon as principals.
He added that the “efficiency deficits” seek advice from a number of points between him and the district. Pedraza mentioned he was written up by his district college chief twice, together with for lacking a gathering in an effort to assist his employees work with “an irate dad or mum.”
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The report ends with the advice that Pedraza be reassigned from working in a faculty to overseeing the district’s Bilingual Division. Beneath this plan, Dillon would stay the only real Edison principal, and the district would substitute Pedraza as assistant principal.
What does the district say?
Whereas The Tribune requested if Superintendent Todd Cummings, Assistant Superintendent Sarita Stevens or Dillon would discuss in regards to the scenario or report, SBCSC officers declined to remark via a spokesman, saying the district does “not touch upon personnel issues.” Nonetheless, the district did confirm the authenticity of the HR report The Tribune obtained.
What’s subsequent?
After the college board approves the report, Pedraza could have the possibility to talk to the board throughout an Govt Closed Session on Sept. 30. Following that, the board will vote on whether or not to simply accept HR’s suggestion and reassign Pedraza.
The session doesn’t seem on the district’s website calendar, as it’s not a recurrently scheduled board assembly. It is going to be closed to neighborhood members and the media.
Electronic mail South Bend Tribune training reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@gannett.com.
This text initially appeared on South Bend Tribune: What we know about HR investigation of former SBCSC principal
