McAuliffe community rallies behind fired principal: "3 weeks before the school year starts, our leader gets taken from us"
Students, parents, faculty and community leaders gathered at McAuliffe International Campus to show their support for Kurt Dennis, the recently fired principal, and demand that Denver Public Schools reinstate him.
Dennis was terminated by the district earlier this month.
The community immediately protested the decision when news of his termination became public. People close to Dennis used their voice Tuesday to demonstrate how invaluable he is to the McAuliffe community.
RELATED: Denver middle school principal fired, allegedly broke student privacy laws
"I was very, very surprised. I was taken aback. I think Kurt Dennis is probably the best principal in DPS by far," said Elliot Guinness, a McAuliffe alum. "I think the district was a little bit threatened by his actions. And I feel like they took that to a new level."
According to DPS, Dennis was terminated for to sharing confidential student information.
Parents believe it's because he shared safety concerns.
Teachers like Max Betham says his termination has them feeling uneasy.
"He took swift action in a time of uncertainty. It seems punitive when somebody's standing up for his faculty. People were scared, and he just took action to try to help everybody out. It's concerning," said Betham. "Working at a school with 1,500 kids, and three weeks before the school year starts, our leader gets taken from us."
Advocates say Dennis exercised his First Amendment right and, according to his attorney David Lane, he has the right to express himself about public concern and the First Amendment protects him. However, the district stands by their decision.
In a statement to CBS Colorado, DPS writes:
"Denver Public Schools is prohibited from sharing information related to confidential personnel matters. That being said, the district does not take these actions lightly. After review, the district recognized that there were some leadership concerns at McAuliffe International. The termination had little to do with any media interviews, but rather the sharing of confidential student information in violation of state and federal laws. The issues were thoroughly investigated and addressed accordingly. We hope the community understands the limitations imposed on us. With these limitations in mind, the district reserves the right to correct any misinformation related to this matter. We look forward to working with the school community to find a qualified replacement to continue to ensure that the students and educators at McAuliffe International thrive."
The petition to reinstate Dennis has over 5,000 signatures.
Dennis said he plans to file a lawsuit against DPS.
