Ousted principal demands public hearing to clear name

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News is following new developments in the ongoing leadership drama at an Atlanta high school. The former principal is demanding a public hearing to clear his name.

Wednesday afternoon, Channel 2 Action News got hold of a letter sent to members of the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education, in which ousted North Atlanta High School principal Mark Mygrant outlined his demands.

Attorney Glenn Delk told investigative reporter Aaron Diamant his client has had enough.

"All he really wants is a chance to clear his name," Delk said.

Earlier this month, APS Superintendent Erroll Davis ordered district officials and a security team to the school to fire Mygrant and reassign top school leaders.

Mygrant blamed the move on anonymous allegations of racism at the school and allegations that two of his recent hires were racists.

"If they have evidence that he's engaged in some sort of conduct that justified the way they fired him, fine, present it," Delk said.

Wednesday Delk fired off a letter to the school board on Mygrant's behalf demanding the board's ethics commission hold a public hearing on Mygrant's termination within the next 30 days.

"We think, morally, the board of education has the obligation to treat its employees fairly," said Delk.

The superintendent has said he took action due to the school's poor academic performance. However, Mygrant, who retired last May, was still working as the school's interim principal when he got the ax.

"If there was a problem, why ask him to come back, not just once, not twice, but three times?" asked Delk.

Delk says a hearing would force Mygrant's accusers to be named and give him a chance to counter their claims of racism. Short of that, Delk told the board his client would settle for an apology.

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"If the facts aren't there to back up the allegations, then why not apologize?"

Late Wednesday afternoon, Diamant got a call from a district spokesman, who confirmed the district got the letter. Stephen Alford told Diamant the district would rather focus on students and the school's new principal here, and that the district is "not prepared to talk about this any further."

WSBTV