Long Island, NY – A group of teachers at a Long Island charter school has filed suit against the principal accusing him of misogyny and bias.
According to the court documents, Raymond Ankrum unleashed a series of tweets on the popular social media site Twitter expressing his opinions of gays, older people, and light-skinned black women.
Raymond Ankrum’s tweets were posted on Twitter under the username RayQRubio.
Ankrum, the principal of Riverhead Charter School since 2012 has not denied the hate-laced tweets; he just believes the twitter rants have nothing to do with his job, says his attorney.
Some of his tweets read as follows:
An unattractive girl w/ a designer bag has better credit than an attractive girl w/ a designer bag.”
Watching the Grammy’s(sic) in 3d. Does JLo have the ill pouch or na I’d still whip tho.”
“I realize most of my tweets go way over the heads of most, it’s fine, you can thank me when you get it. Could be months, even years.” “I hate dumb people. People who ride the ‘Jerry Bus or is it the ‘yellow bus,’ either way you’re an idiot.”
Ankrum’s attorney not only represents him, but she represents the school as well. She says “When read in context, they have nothing to do with the Riverhead Charter School or its employees. My clients are greatly offended by this latest attempt at professional and personal character assassination through litigation.”
The suit was originally filed in August in state court; it alleged that Ankrum shifted out the older teachers and brought in younger ones whom he found easier to control. However, last month the suit was moved to federal court in consideration of the tweets that had surfaced.
The allegations against Ankrum included accusations of him having an “agenda” to carry out; one that involves the enhancement of education for minority students by removing white female teachers in the school over the age of 40 and also ridiculing teachers over the age of 40.
The plaintiffs indicate that the principal’s tweets are more than enough evidence to prove his misogyny.
The attorney for the teachers made a statement advising that when a jury sees the tweets from Ankrum, they will recognize that the school was a hostile work environment.
He added “In today’s world we hold students responsible for their off-campus actions and writings. We hold them liable for bullying on computers and smartphones. Yet for some bizarre reason, Principal Ankrum and his lawyer believe he is exempt from the standard we hold students to.”
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