By Michael Morton
K'Tori's attorney, Bruce Bryant, said the charges against his client, the former head of PS/IS 268, stemmed from a lack of communication from superiors, a lingering by-product of the confusion sown in the chain of command after Mayor Michael Bloomberg took control of the city's school system. Bryant said management also felt threatened by K'Tori's “charisma” and leadership style and reacted by bringing “trumped-up” charges against him.”It's that charisma and leadership that had apparently threatened management and has us in this proceeding,” Bryant said during the latest hearing session, held March 9 across from Manhattan's Tweed Courthouse and attended by 50 supportive parents and their children.Speaking for the city Education Department, lawyer Stanley Trybulski said K'Tori had ignored the rules in order to further his own reputation and career, in the process putting the school and District 29 at risk.”He's just an arrogant, self-centered individual who the record will show will do anything to trample others who get in his way,” Trybulski said.K'Tori was charged with insubordination and removed days before the start of school. He was accused of taking students outside the enrollment lottery, not turning in a report on time, trying to block the placement of a special education class, throwing papers at a supervisor and failing to follow procedures for ordering books while in charge of another school.Bryant argued that K'Tori had to go outside the lottery to fill his school and never received a message from superiors not to do so, even though they knew of his efforts. With the book ordering, the attorney said his client had taken some shortcuts to make sure his school was supplied on time, while the remaining charges were simply false. Bryant said K'Tori's superiors suspended him without first warning the principal that they thought he was acting inappropriately.”Never once did a clear answer come from the Region 3 Superintendent (Judith) Chin,” he said.Trybulski responded that K'Tori had violated rules put in place to protect against graft and had jeopardized the school district at a time when it was in danger of being taken over by the state.The arbiter in charge of the case, Martin Shineman, has a month to issue a ruling. After a three-month suspension, Shineman recommended that K'Tori be put back on the payroll. He has been assigned temporarily to IS 8 in Jamaica.Shineman previously indicated he is likely to find the Jamaica principal guilty of some charges and innocent of others, but the punishment is expected to be no more than the three-month suspension already served.After the session, parents and students from PS/IS 268 chanted outside Education Department headquarters for their principal's return.”I'm ready for this,” said Parent Teacher Association President Ericka Napier of the pending decision. “It's been a very difficult year.”Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
