Chicago leaders condemn alleged discrimination against Black CPS principals

CHICAGO - Chicago leaders gathered downtown on Thursday to speak out against Chicago Public Schools' allege discrimination against Black principals.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is taking up the cause, calling out CPS for allegedly targeting Black principals. He was outside CPS Headquarters alongside Father Michael Pfleger, members of Rainbow PUSH, and leaders from the Chicago Principals & Administrators Association.

"Last year, this district removed seven Black principals," said Troy LaRaviere. "One of the key but not only components of this racially biased system that removed them is the CPS law department."

At question is the ousting of seven Black principals. One of the principals released is Abdul Muhammad, the former principal at Lindblom Math and Science Academy. CPS gave no specifics on why he was fired, only saying an investigation substantiated findings against him.

According to the group, there were cases against former principles who were removed that were built on fabricated reports and false claims. Black principals were allegedly often targeted in those removal efforts.

"It is that report, a report that tried hard, that CPS tried hard not to release, that exposes the call of the racist smears, the racist system that smears the fames and persecutes principles for having the audacity to hold the system and anyone in it accountable for serving Black students," said LaRaviere.

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CPS released the following statement Thursday afternoon:

"At Chicago Public Schools (CPS) we know that Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous and other school leaders of color make a huge impact in the lives of our students, not only academically, but socially, emotionally, and mentally. While we have made great strides to ensure that the diversity of our school leaders and central and network staff reflects the diversity of our student body, we are committed to continuing to invest in recruitment and retention efforts.

As a District, we strive to make sure all our schools have strong leaders dedicated to the success of their staff, students, and communities. The District has comprehensive procedures in place to thoroughly investigate allegations of staff misconduct, ensuring our employees are afforded proper due process, and make fair employment decisions. Such investigations take time and preclude us from providing ongoing and detailed updates, however, we are confident in the decisions made by the leaders of our District.

We are committed to continuing to work with families and community members to ensure that we address their concerns and ensure that our schools are safe and inclusive learning environments for all students and staff."