Lee High School Students, Staff Protest School Board Meeting

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By Ashley Thompson

Story Created: Jan 29, 2013 at 10:29 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jan 30, 2013 at 2:00 PM CDT

A crowd of protesters from Lee High School stormed the Montgomery County school board meeting demanding the board reinstate their school's suspended administrators.

Seven administrators total were put on paid leave late last year as a result of grade-changing allegations. Protestors outside of the Board of Education building say it's time for them to get back to work.

"We're here today to show support for Mr. Lorenza Pharrams, Dr. Jacob Holloway and Dr. Janet Reese."

The school board allowed just one person to voice their feelings regarding the ongoing investigation. So Michelle Summers, a theatre teacher at Lee High School spoke for everyone. Clearly frustrated with the pace of the grade-changing investigation, she feels it's time to put suspended administrators back to work and says she won't stop protesting their absence.

"I wont rest with the state," she says. "If we have to go to the federal government, we'll do that."

Ricky Rogers of Lee High School's PTSA says the atmosphere at the school hasn't been the same since administrators left.

"Morale. The discipline. Everything has began to spiral downward in their absence," he says.

And a science teacher at Lee agrees with him.

"Everyday that he's not there, we're losing," says Leroy Barrow. "We're losing a lot of morale and also the school constantly is on a decline."

But Montgomery County School Board President Eleanor Dawkins says school board members are staying mum about Barbara Thompson's investigation, not because they want to but because they have to.

"We've not been given information as to the results of their investigation," she explains. "Consequently, we can not respond. We understand that people want information and as soon as we have it and can provide it, we'll be happy to. Because again, it's important to us to be transparent just like the public thinks we should be." 

Still, some people doubt the ongoing investigation will dig up anything that serious.

"I honestly don't care what comes out of this investigation," says parent James Woodworth. "If it was something criminal, he would have already been charged with something so obviously it's not that critical."

"Without our principal, what are we? That's just like a building without a foundation," says Lee High School student Diamond Collins.

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Ricky Rogers said on Wednesday, Jan 30 at 7:11 AM

Where is the video footage from this story. It gives a better representation of the board meeting & how direct the comments were. I sincerely hope that the powers-that-be did not censor the info. That would be a travesty.

Mary Woodworth said on Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:06 AM

My name is mary woodworth and im a senior at Lee High School. Many teachers and students are asking about the footage about this story. My dad, James Woodworth, is one of those who spoke and i would like to see the footage of my father speaking as well as everybody else does. Thank you.

Amber McCall said on Wednesday, Jan 30 at 10:39 AM

This mess has went on for to long. Its time to put all of this to rest and give us our principal back. Lee has not been the same and it will not be the same until we are given our principal back. I don't want to shake anyone else's hand put Mr. Pharrams hand whe i walk across the stage next year. I won't to shake the person hand who came and changed Lee for the better. The students, facility, and myself are just ready for all of the to go away. "PLEASE JUST GIVE US MR.PHARREMS BACK ", and Lee return back to normal. It will never be the same until he is back. Where is the video, that was on the news lastnight....

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