In today's New York Post there is an article about the two female teachers at James Madison High School in Brooklyn who were caught in an empty classroom being intimate with each other was targeted for termination and were initially terminated by the State arbitrators in their 3020-a cases, under extreme media publicity and DOE pressure. However, on appeal both teachers had their terminations overturned by the judge under section 75-11 and both ended up with one year suspensions without pay or benefits.
By contrast, John Bowne High School Principal Howard Kwait has cost the DOE $500,000 to settle two separate sexual harassment lawsuits and having a female student falsely arrested. Yet, Howard Kwait was not removed from the school and the DOE never bothered to file 3020-a charges against his alleged misconduct, including accusations of grade changing. To me that is a double standard.
While I don't condone what the two teachers did in the empty classroom, at least they were consenting adults who simply picked an inappropriate location to have their intimate moment. On the other hand Howard Kwait allegedly sexually harassed two female Assistant Principals and was fined by the Conflict of Interest Board for taking a trip overseas with a female staff member of the school. Which is worse? The two female teachers having an intimate moment in an empty classroom with no students on the floor or Principal Howard Kwait, who's actions cost the city $500,000 to settle the lawsuits against him and his ill-advised all expenses paid trip with a female staff member overseas thatcost him $4,500? To me it's definitely the latter.
It just goes to show that the DOE's "double standard" continues be it Mayor Bloomberg or De Blasio.