Shuang Wen Parents Launch Lawsuit Against DOE
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Despite consistently high marks from the DOE, Shuang Wen, a public school in lower Manhattan, is in the middle of a controversy regarding the school’s principal, leading parents to seek legal action. NY1’s Lindsey Christ filed the following report.The Department of Education has consistently ranked Shuang Wen as one of the top 10 public schools in the city, but years of infighting between opposing groups of parents have taken their toll.
The city is conducting at least nine separate investigations of alleged misuse of money and power, and now there are signs the DOE may soon remove the principal, who founded Shuang Wen 12 years ago.
Some parents say the charges are trumped up and that the DOE is discriminating against the school community based on their Chinese heritage. On Monday, they announced they're suing the DOE in federal court.
“There were a handful of parents who had an issue with the principal, and the DOE took the arguments of four or five against 900 parents,” said one parent.
The school has been in turmoil, with angry parent meetings and anonymous threats against the principal and PTA leaders. Shuang Wen claimed to be the first East Coast school where students learned both English and Mandarin, but starting this year, there was a $1,000 charge for the Mandarin instruction.
The DOE has been investigating that and several other issues.
“There have been tons of allegations that have destroyed the reputation of this school,” said one parent.
Sources say officials are likely waiting until the end of the school year before making any major changes or announcements, but as news has leaked in recent weeks, the divided school community has stepped up its efforts.
This spring, the PTA looked into hiring a lawyer. After that, the chancellor froze the school's general fund and suspended PTA fundraising activities. Two weeks ago, parents say they learned the DOE has been preparing to terminate Principal Ling Ling Chou. After that, the lawsuit came.
A spokesperson for the City Law Department said they would review the lawsuit papers but added via statement: “Based on our understanding of the situation at the school, we don’t believe this lawsuit has merit.”
The lawsuit aims to stop the investigations. It also calls for money damages for the parents and students.