Parents voice anger over FBISD's handling of principal

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

(6/05/07 - KTRK/FORT BEND COUNTY, TX) (KTRK) -- Upset parents were out in force in Sugar Land this morning. They wanted to make sure Fort Bend ISD knows exactly how they feel about the district losing a key high school coach and elementary school principal over a television show.

The situation in Fort Bend County had been building for a while. It started with an elementary school teacher who tried to find love on the reality show, "The Bachelor".

Parents, students and a handful of school employees protested outside the district's administration building this morning, saying they want to make sure that the superintendent knows that they are still not happy with his decision. It was a small group looking to make a statement.

"We are trying to teach our kids who are here to stand up for what they believe in and to stand up for an injustice," said concerned parent Cathy Hines.

The injustice they are protesting is over how the school district superintendent punished former Colony Bend Elementary School Principal Tammy Carpenter for allowing one of her teachers to miss more than 20 days of school to appear on the ABC show "The Bachelor".

"I think he just acted before he had enough information and then based upon that action, I think it was too late for him to turn back," said parent Fred Carpenter.

Tammy Carpenter who was with the district for 15 years is married to Rick Carpenter, who resigned from the district as the Elkins High School baseball coach. They both have found new jobs that these parents say they should never have had to apply for.

"We are not sweeping it under the rug," said parent Travis Truitt. "It needs to be addressed and we are taxpayers and we should have a voice."

"The genie is out of the bottle and we can't bring them back. The Carpenters have held themselves with extreme character and discipline and moral authority," said parent Mark Maloney.

Parents who attended the protest know it's too late to bring the Carpenters back to the district, but they wanted to make sure that the superintendent knows that they are not happy with the outcome.

The superintendent had no comment on today's gathering.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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