A Dallas high school principal has been removed from her position after she reportedly blamed a group of Black students for the school’s lower academic rating during a closed-door meeting.
According to The Dallas Morning News, Woodrow Wilson High School principal Chandra Hooper-Barnett called a group of Black students into a meeting earlier this month, where she allegedly told them they were responsible for the school’s “B” rating from the Texas Education Agency.
“[My son] said that Principal Barnett stated that those students, the Black students, were the reason why the school had a B rating,” parent Jennifer Bush said, adding that her son maintains a 3.5 GPA. “She said it in a derogatory manner. I was really shocked she would say something like that.”
In a letter to parents sent October 26, Hooper-Barnett admitted the meeting “was not appropriate” and issued an apology.
“I take full ownership and responsibility for what occurred, and I want to assure you that it was never my intent to single out or cause harm to any group of students,” she wrote. “I understand my actions and decisions have caused disappointment and frustration, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) confirmed that Hooper-Barnett will not return to the school. Danielle Petters has been appointed as interim principal.
District official Aaron Aguirre-Castillo, executive director of the Woodrow Wilson Vertical Team, said the principal’s comments “do not reflect the values and expectations of our school community.”
Hooper-Barnett, a 22-year district veteran and former Teacher of the Year, had served as principal for three years.
At Woodrow Wilson High, Black students make up 7.3% of the population, compared to 62% Hispanic and 27.7% white. The school has consistently earned a “B” grade, scoring 83 out of 100 this year, down from 87 last year.
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