This news report had more information about misconduct by the school administration.
CHEER SQUAD PUTS ADULTS IN FEAR FROM . . .
PEP GIRLS GONE WILD
After the cheerleading coach quit, the school district hired independent investigator Harold Jones, whose $40,000, 70-page discipline report led to the resignation of McKinney North's principal Linda Theret - mother of the girls' ringleader, Karrissa Theret - just days before Christmas.
An assistant principal, Richard Brunner, is fighting the district's decision not to renew his contract; the decision followed the Jones report.
Now, teachers and parents are coming forward to complain that Theret created a climate of fear bolstered by a culture of retaliation, litigation and Texas employment laws that made firings easy.
Ward said some teachers had changed grades for these girls because they feared for their careers.
"The principal made sure that every teacher knew that their job was on the line. I can't tell you how many times I thought I was going to lose my job," Ward said. "I was scared to death. It was a nightmare."
With the adults too frightened to stand in their way, the cheerleading clique were emboldened; the limo incident occurred right in the middle of the Jones investigation.
"The biggest problem was nobody was willing to do anything to stand up to these girls," Ward said. "Parents [of other students] were worried that their children would be harassed if they said anything."
In the end, Jones' report found that Theret used her power to influence discipline decisions in favor of her daughter and other cheerleaders.
Theret was handed $75,000 and a letter of recommendation as part of her departure deal, which the school board struck following Jones' recommendations last month.
Things fall apart when the adults are "afraid" to do the right thing. I feel bad for the teachers involved, but I'm also sad that they caved in for so long. I'm glad that the the fourth coach to leave in one year went public with the details.
This would have been a non-story if 4 years ago, the first time one of these girls stepped out of line, the school administration had enforced existing rules. But in fairness to the school administration, it is difficult to do your job when parents don't do theirs.
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Related Tags: public education, cheerleaders, homeschool, principal, McKinney, Texas, fab five, high school
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