Roosevelt H.S. principal's hiring sparks teacher backlash

The Roosevelt teachers union says it's furious over the hiring of the high school's new principal, who was accused of sexually harassing teachers as a principal upstate and in 2009 at Roosevelt Middle

News 12 Staff

Sep 1, 2016, 1:44 AM

Updated 2,965 days ago

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The Roosevelt teachers union says it's furious over the hiring of the high school's new principal, who was accused of sexually harassing teachers as a principal upstate and in 2009 at Roosevelt Middle School.
According to court records, Brodrick Spencer inappropriately touched an upstate teacher in 2015. He allegedly did the same to a teacher in Roosevelt. Union president Jeff Pullen says that teacher was so stunned seeing Spencer at the school Tuesday that she collapsed and was taken to the hospital.
Spencer was never brought up on criminal charges. The first lawsuit against him was settled out of court. A civil case against Spencer for the second accusation of harrassment is scheduled for a jury trial in federal court later this year.
Pullen says the teachers scheduled a demonstration in front of the high school Wednesday morning, but it was called off due to threats they received from the district.
School district officials defended Spencer's hiring, saying in a statement, "Mr. Spencer is an incredibly talented administrator who understands our community and shares the Roosevelt School District's academic philosophy."