Bachelor contestant talks about the show and school controversy

(5/08/07 - KTRK/FORT BEND COUNTY, TX) (KTRK) -- Her spot on a reality show got her boss in trouble and upset some parents. Now, for the first time, we are hearing from the Fort Bend County teacher at the center of "The Bachelor" controversy.

Amber Alchalabi admits she was heartbroken when bachelor Andy Baldwin sent her home on the show last night.

"I'm just saddened how this whole situation has turned out, it's sad, very unfortunate," she said.

She says it was worth it for a chance at love. She says she takes issue though with some things like the way she and her roommate were portrayed by show producers.

"They tried to pull what they thought would make us look young and immature and sorority-like which is sad because we're not like that at all," Amber said.

Amber has taken flack for the time she was absent from the classroom at Sugar Land's Colony Bend Elementary during the taping of the show. Weeks into the show, the school district says it only found out she was participating when the show approached it with a request to allow cameras inside. When the district granted the request, Amber says she saw that as giving approval.

"I definitely feel that having the cameras in the classroom would be them supporting me being on the show," she said.

As the show progressed and she kept getting a rose, she says repeatedly she entered her expected time off into school district computers. So for Fort Bend ISD to say it didn't know of her participation in the show, until producers came asking to let cameras in, she calls ridiculous.

"By myself logging onto the computer that the HR would say, 'Wait a minute, this person has been gone for so and so days, maybe we should take care of it,'" Amber stated.

Colony Bend Principal Tammie Carpenter knew of Amber's absence, but didn't alert her supervisor which is contrary to district policy. She quit after being threatened with demotion. Now she is trying to get her job back and Amber supports her.

"I feel very guilty for what happened to Tammie because I feel like it is my fault, if I hadn't of gone on the show, none of this would have happened," she said.

Parents are set to meet 7pm Wednesday at the school district headquarters to talk to the superintendent about Carpenter getting her job back. No one from Fort Bend ISD has ever said that Amber would be punished for doing anything wrong though she says no one has talked about her employment at the school next year.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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