Minority Groups Decry Ouster of School Advocate

Bennett-Roberts started a monthly diversity-training program and held several workshops and symposiums that drew hundreds of parents. She documented her experiences in a six-page report, including observations that there are no women of color leading any of the district's secondary schools and that many minority students and parents think they are not noticed. She recommended that the district undergo a "cultural audit."

Many minority parents said that for the first time, they thought they had a voice and an advocate in the school system. Nearly two dozen people from diverse backgrounds spoke in support of Bennett-Roberts at School Board meetings in April, May and June.

Bennett-Roberts and her attorney say the school district violated its evaluation policies by not having preliminary discussions about her performance, and setting goals and objectives.

Bennett-Roberts said she was notified in December that she was in danger of receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation. In February, she was told that she had not met the district's standard for progress and that her contract might not be renewed.

"I never had anything but the December meeting," said Bennett-Roberts, who has held similar positions in Baltimore and Minnesota. "I was just baffled by this whole process."

She and her attorney said they have not ruled out a lawsuit.

"This is bigger than me. This isn't just my fight," she said. "This is about an organization that needs to change. Until they turn the mirror on themselves, there will be more Beverlys."