A Dallas school district has appointed a former principal after she was removed from her last school. She is accused of calling a meeting of only Black students to discuss disapproval of their academic performance.
Chandra Hooper-Barnett was named principal of Lincoln High School Friday. KERA News reported that the student population is over 70 percent Black.
It follows her removal as principal of Woodrow Wilson High School. Both schools are in the Dallas Independent School District.
Hooper-Barnett was removed from WWHS after she allegedly held the meeting with just Black students last semester, according to KERA News.
Hooper-Barnett is a Black woman.
KERA News obtained a letter from Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde, sent in October, in which she addressed the situation.
“This decision was carefully considered and made with our students’ best interest in mind,” the letter said.
Elizalde said that “after reviewing preliminary details,” Hooper-Barnett would not return.
Hooper-Barnett also addressed the allegations with her own letter at the time.
“The decision to hold the meeting and the discussion that transpired was not appropriate,” the letter obtained by NBC 5 said. “I take full ownership and responsibility for what occurred, and I want to assure you that it was never my intent to single out or cause harm to any group of students.
Many members of the community were torn about how the district handled the situation.
“Her method was a bad choice, but I completely understand why she did it!!!” Ambra Phillips-Dunn wrote on Facebook.
“Coming from her, it just sounds like she was trying to help and was concerned for those students. Doesn’t sound malicious or bad, maybe just done out of frustration looking at the scores of certain students,” Efrain Villa wrote on Facebook. “I met her at an open house, and she’s a very nice person. She just wants them to try harder and excel. If it would have been a different race principal, then yeah, that would have been offensive. I think it’s just a sign of tough love.”
“Nobody knows what kind of pressure came down from the district that they are not talking about,” Reginald Shed added.
“Thought that too until I found out the percent of Black students is 6%; even if all of them are filing, they would not be enough to impact the rating. Unfortunately, there was no critical thinking involved with this decision,” Jacki Brown-Chitanda wrote.
In a recent statement to KERA News regarding her reassignment, the district said it remains focused on student outcomes and will continue making decisions “in the best interest of our students.”
Atlanta Black Star reached out to Hooper-Barnett and the school district but has not heard back.
