Clarkston says it supports embattled school administrator

Clarkston School District Superintendent Darcy Weisner released a brief statement Tuesday in support of curriculum Director James Fry, who is accused of being involved in a cheating scheme during his time as a high school principal in Texas.

"The Clarkston School Board is aware of the situation in the school district where Mr. James Fry, Clarkston director of curriculum, was formerly employed," he said. "The board and superintendent will continue to monitor events as the facts become available. Mr. Fry has (been) and continues to be a valued employee of the Clarkston School District and has its support."

According to a Texas Education Agency investigation, Fry allegedly helped manipulate the number of limited-English proficient students during the 2010-11 school year in order to avoid federal accountability measures.

Fry was the principal of Canutillo High School in El Paso, Texas, from July 2008 to June 2012. He is accused of directing the school's English language facilitator not to reclassify 13 foreign transfer students as 10th-graders to avoid creating a limited-English proficient subgroup. He also allegedly directed his staff to let ninth- and 10th-grade students avoid taking the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam, which is the state standardized test. The alleged actions led to manipulation of the federal education accountability system known as No Child Left Behind, according to the report.

Fry has vehemently denied the allegations.

According to the report, Fry allegedly violated state law, rule or policy, although specific laws were not cited.

Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe said the case has been turned over to the agency's Educator Investigations Division and is part of an ongoing investigation. The division could recommend sanctions if the case warrants it, she said, but the Texas Education Agency does not have criminal jurisdiction, so any sanctions would not result in criminal charges.

"What we could do would only impact his Texas teaching certificate," she said.

Fry could also reach an agreement with the Texas Education Agency or fight the allegations, in which case the State Board for Educator Certification would make a ruling, Ratcliffe said.

Ratcliffe was not sure how long the ongoing investigation could take.

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Gaboury may be contacted at kgaboury@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2275. Follow him on Twitter @KevinGaboury.