Controversy pushes out Ballard High principal

By Sanjay Bhatt
Seattle Times staff reporter

	DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES, 2002 Ballard High students funnel into a hallway between classes in 2002. Ballard, which has the newest high-school building in the Seattle School District, has become the preferred public school for many families.
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Ballard High School Principal Method Odoemene, under a cloud of controversy over sexual-harassment allegations, was removed from his position yesterday and replaced for the rest of the school year with one of the school's retired principals.

Superintendent Raj Manhas delivered the news to the school's staff before the start of classes yesterday, spokeswoman Lynn Steinberg said. The district sent home a letter yesterday from Manhas to parents informing them of the change.

Chuck Chinn, who served as principal of Ballard High for 10 years until his retirement in June 2000, returned as interim principal yesterday.

In the letter to parents, Manhas said he acted after speaking with Odoemene.

"Over the last few weeks, my staff and I have heard from hundreds of Ballard's students, parents and staff members. We have spent many hours at the school observing classes, engaging in conversations, and participating in meetings as we tried to determine the best course of action," Manhas wrote.

Michael DeBell, president of the school's PTSA, said he was relieved when Manhas told him yesterday of his decision.

	Method Odoemene

"This has been a problem that has been sapping a lot of energy at Ballard High School," DeBell said. "This is a chance to refocus on the mission."

Controversy is not new to Ballard High. Odeomene's predecessor, David Engle, resigned in April 2002 in protest of a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that struck down the district's use of a racial tiebreaker in assigning students to schools. At the time, Engle said the decision could resegregate Ballard High, a school that routinely has a waiting list for admission.

Despite the upheaval, Ballard High has enjoyed a renaissance in the past few years. In 1999, its new building opened, replacing an old crumbling structure.

Alumni donations and community support have increased. And the high-profile school of 1,600 students has specialized academies to provide students with mentors and internships in the biotech and maritime industries.

Students recently installed solar panels and will measure their effect on the school's energy bill, and the school hopes to add an environmental-science academy.

This weekend, Ballard's football team will become the first from a 4A public high school in Seattle to play for the state title in more than a decade.

	Raj Manhas

"Expectations are high at Ballard High School," DeBell said.

DeBell credited Odoemene with having good ideas. Odoemene introduced an Internet-based gradebook at Ballard that allowed parents to track their students' progress and e-mail teachers.

Odoemene is now a "principal on special assignment," a floater who will be assigned to schools temporarily when their permanent principals are unavailable for some reason, such as medical leave. He continues to work under a contract with a base annual salary of $97,573.

"His precise duties have not yet been defined," Steinberg said.

The district action marks a turnaround of events for Odoemene, who rejoined Seattle Public Schools in the summer of 2002 when he was named Ballard High's principal. It was his first job as a school principal; he'd been an assistant high school principal in the Kent School District. Before that, he was a math and science teacher at Sharples Alternative School in South Seattle for five years.

Problems surfaced this fall: Parents complained about students out of control and poor leadership from Odoemene. Teachers complained that Odoemene wasn't communicating with them about major changes, including the sudden reassignment of Assistant Principal Glenda Williams just before the start of the school year.

Community opposition built in late October after media reports of verbal sexual-harassment allegations Williams had made against Odoemene.

Williams told Sharon Wilkins, the district's director of high schools, that Odoemene suggested a romance last spring. Despite her protests, Williams said Odoemene proposed in August that they have a rendezvous in Hawaii.

Wilkins gave Odoemene a written reprimand for "inappropriate behavior in the work place" and wrote that Odoemene said Williams' account was true.

Last week, Ballard High's PTSA called on the superintendent to remove Odoemene from his position because he had failed to soothe concerns raised by parents, students and staff at a community meeting. Odoemene has steadfastly maintained that the district's procedures prevent him from discussing the allegations.

Meanwhile, a tentative agreement has been struck between Williams and the district to assign her in a few weeks as an assistant principal at a Seattle school. Williams' attorney and district officials yesterday said they were not yet prepared to identify the school.

Bill Phelan, a retired principal who had been filling in at the school while Odoemene was on vacation in Nigeria last week, will continue to help through tomorrow.

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com

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