Principal Sue Starr back in at OKCPS, but not Northeast HS

Last Updated on January 12, 2018, 7:52 PM | Published: January 12, 2018

Late Friday Oklahoma City Public Schools announced that they had “reached an agreement” with former Northeast High School principal Sue Starr that would avoid her termination.

For the remainder of her contract ending June 30, Starr will be a roving principal in the district filling in for other principals who have to be away from their posts.

Starr had been on forced leave after a series of protests by students at NEHS focused on problems created by having the superintendent’s office and other staff in the same building this year.

Board Clerk Craig Cates sent notice late Friday that the termination hearing planned for Tuesday was canceled.

“Principal Starr will return to work as a Principal and be reassigned to fill building administrator roles on a rotational basis,” the notice read. ‘The District’s administration believes that this resolution will allow all parties involved to focus on the new academic term and the needs of students and staff.”

The notice ended with a statement made for Starr.

“Sue Starr looks forward to returning to work for the district.”

District communications chief Beth Harrison told Free Press in an email that the language on the notice was intended to be “a joint statement from both parties.”

Harrison confirmed that Starr “will fill building administrator roles as needed in the case of illness, travel, other principal obligations” of assigned building administrators.

Starr could not be reached for comment Friday.

Free Press was one of the first publications to break the news that Starr had been walked out of her building in front of her students on the same day of a student protest outside Superintendent Aurora Lora’s office, which is on the main floor of the NEHS building on N. Kelly Avenue.

• Parents, students fear NE High Sch principal may be fired
• NEHS principal’s attorney calls for “immediate reinstatement”

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