PPS Principal Alleges Discrimination And Retaliation In Labor Complaint

By Rob Manning (OPB)
Portland, Oregon Aug. 14, 2015 10:25 p.m.

A Portland school principal who's been on paid administrative leave for more than nine months has filed a labor complaint with state officials.

Portland Public Schools put Kelly Elementary principal Marti Diaz on paid leave back in October. That followed a weekend camping trip with other school leaders, where Diaz allegedly got violent with her domestic partner.

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Rob Manning / OPB

According to a report from the Clackamas County District Attorney John Foote, Diaz and her partner entered their camping trailer before the alleged attack.

The report reads:

There are no eyewitnesses to any of the physical contact that occurs in the travel trailer. The victim exits the trailer after some yelling and tells some of the witnesses that the suspect struck her in the face and then she returns to the trailer. The parties hear more scuffling inside the trailer and go to open the door and see the suspect standing over the victim with the victim curled up in a fetal position. The witnesses indicate that after the incident, the victim used ice on her face and she had some signs of bruising which would indicate a potential assault or harassment occurred.

Foote's report says that Diaz' partner didn't want to pursue charges. Foote's report summarized, "while I believe that something wrong happened in that trailer, I simply do not believe we could prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt."

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Diaz was arrested, but not charged.

The Bureau of Labor and Industries complaint that Diaz filed alleges discrimination and retaliation by PPS.

Diaz said she was punished for saying other school administrators had gotten drunk in front of children on the October camping trip. The complaint reads: "After I brought up the misconduct of District administrators, the District refused to allow me to return to work."

Diaz also argues that white school administrators have had similar issues, but not been punished the way she has been.

"Whereas a significant number of Caucasian District administrators have engaged in serious work-related misconduct, including instances of sexual misconduct, those Caucasian administrators have been reassigned rather than placed on administrative leave …," Diaz' complaint reads.

Portland Public has denied the validity of the complaint and vowed to fight it.

PPS spokesperson Christine Miles issued a written statement on the matter.

"We have reviewed the BOLI complaint. The fact Ms. Diaz filed the complaint does not mean the allegations accurately represent the events," Miles said. "We will vigorously defend the complaint."

A different principal is currently in place at Kelly Elementary, the only elementary school with a Russian language immersion program.

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