Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Evidence of Incessant Persecution
Due to Advocacy in Favor of Students’ Rights &
Program Improvements
By: Luis Ángel Perez, Educator & Advocate
2010 – 2011
Department of Education Email Violation
On the morning of Thursday, January 7,
2010, an administrator mistakenly sent all teachers and other administrators an
email using my personal Department of Education email account. Later everyone
was asked to delete the email. This administrator used my personal password to
open up and access my Department of Education email account. When I requested
for answers about how this could have happened and why was it happening
principal Miriam Perdraja told me that she will look into it and she will get
back to me.
After getting the “run-around” from the
principal regarding this problem, I inquired about it again and was met with
aggression. I was reprimanded and told that when she finds something out she
will let me know. I never heard about this incident again.
On the morning of Sunday, January 10,
2010, I emailed administrators and teachers about this problem. Here I wrote in
all caps, I FIND IT QUITE DISTURBING THAT SOMEONE OTHER THAN MYSELF HAS ACCESS
TO THIS E-MAIL ACCOUNT AND IS ACTUALLY SENDING INFORMATION OUT TO OTHERS AS IF
IT WERE ME. Administrators never responded to this email.
Neglect of Basic Classroom Supplies (Science Textbooks)
Sunday, September 12, 2010, I send an
email to Principal Miriam Pedraja, informing her that the Science textbooks
were not where she told me to look for them. It turns out that they were never actually
ordered.
For the following school year
(2011-2012), the wrong textbooks were ordered. This time they sent us many of
the books we already had for a completely different grade. These textbooks
remained in their boxes on the side of the classroom for several months before
they were removed, despite my numerous complaints. Eventually, an administrator
came to the room to take the boxes away. I was told that they are going to have
the company pick them up and send us the correct books and that it should only
take a week. When I inquired about the books again I was condescendingly told
that when the books arrive I will be the first to know. The Science textbooks never arrived.
Evidence of Harassment
1. Sunday, January 30, 2011 at
1:00 pm, I emailed Principal Miriam Pedraja a letter of concern regarding
excessive classroom interruptions titled The
Attention Span of a Squirrel.
2. Monday, January 31, 2011 at 8:45 am, Principal Miriam Pedraja
emailed me a message informing me that she will arrange meeting to discuss in
person my letter of concern regarding excessive classroom interruptions titled The Attention Span of a Squirrel.
3. One minute later: Monday, January 31, 2011 at 8:46 am, Principal Miriam Pedraja emailed me the scheduled meeting
to discuss in person my letter of concern regarding excessive classroom
interruptions titled The Attention
Span of a Squirrel.
This second email also contained a list of complaints against me. It is
important to mention here that this is the first
time ever that Principal Miriam Pedraja (or any other administrator for
that matter) has written a list of complaints against me.
4. Later that day: Monday,
January 31, 2011 at 8:54 pm I emailed Principal Miriam Pedraja a response to
each of the complaints on her list.
5. Principal Miriam Pedraja and I
met briefly on Thursday, February 03, 2011 at 1:15 pm. Principal Miriam Pedraja
was apparently irate. She briefly made comments about some of my responses to
her list of complaints and in reference to my letter of concern regarding
excessive classroom interruptions titled The
Attention Span of a Squirrel I was reprimanded and told that as the
principal in the building she has the right to go into any classroom as many
times as she wants and with who ever she wants. I maintained a calm disposition
but she would not allow me to talk.
Conclusively, the list of complaints
presented is a mere pretext to deflect attention away from the programming
concerns that I have raised (both verbally and in writing) to administration.
The list of complaints is also a form of intimidation geared to gag me from further
advocacy.
Incessant Persecution Unfolded
* Reckless and excessive summonses were
implemented. Summonses were abruptly scheduled (last-minute), scheduled during
my only preparation period, scheduled during teaching (interrupting many
lessons) despite my pleas to reschedule for the sake of the students, some
summonses were petty and others bogus.
* Removed from the middle school (after
teaching mathematics and science for 6 years) and intentionally forced to teach
1st grade (despite no prior experience working with this age group).
* Paging my name excessively over the
loud-speaker almost everyday (sometimes several times on the same day) to
report to the main office.
* Bogus and or petty complaints and
disciplinary write-ups.
* Despite providing enough medical
documentation to show that I was hospitalized and seriously ill due to a
student related medical illness, immediately after I returned to work,
administrators ordered me to get an additional medical clearance from the DOE
and administrators sent two special investigators to investigate my claim and
to interrogate me inside of the principal’s office. The principal was not
present during this meeting and I did not have a UFT representative.
Everyone in the main office was
wondering why I was being investigated. After telling me that they interviewed
my doctors and that all of my medical paper work “checks-out”, one of the special
investigators asked me, “Why would she do this to you?” To which I responded,
because I am supposed to keep my mouth shut and not advocate for
improvements.
* Administrators warning teachers that
if they plan to support me to be careful because I may be recording them which
is why I am always walking around with my bag.
* I’m too exhausted to continue.
Principal Miriam Pedraja and her
administrative team’s barrage of bogus complaints is a mere pretext to their retaliation
against me for advocating for students, for advocating for improvements, and
for not allowing their intimidation to muzzle me from further advocacy. Their retaliation
and harassment also intensified because my rebuttals to their bogus complaints
brought to light many more contractual, ethical, and moral questions.
Principal Miriam Pedraja does not
respond well when a subordinate poses a sound and valid argument which happens
to contradict her position. As a result, she gets angry, rants, and people let
her say what she wants and fearfully conform to the way she wants it done.
Below are only some
of the areas I advocated against:
The way students are treated.
Protocol to ambushing parents in meetings
Student behavior anecdotes logged into the computer and
internet
Impeding students from demonstrating peaceful protest for a
cause that directly affects their adolescent culture
Disparate treatment of the subject of Science
Jail/street lingo and disposition when addressing students
directly and indirectly (repeated offenders, suspects, up-against-the-wall, …)
Scolding teachers in front of students shortly before they
have to go and to teach a class
Resistance to address bullying
Engaging in Bullying
Intimidating and harassing people for speaking-up
Summoning teachers to meetings without providing a reason in
order to fairly prepare a defense
“Rigor” using grades, and rules to be punitive to students,
“one minute late – do not take
Creating a hostile environment
Excessive testing (black-line test, science test, and
others)
Excessive paperwork
Email intrusion
Excessive lesson interruptions
Neglect of basic classroom materials (textbooks x2 years)
Misuse of preparation periods
Lunch period used for management meetings
Separation of language by color
No follow-up meetings that were promised
Anonymous surveys were not anonymous at all
No support or inspiration
