Ex-Principal Sues City of Excellence
Lawsuit Comes After Sudden December Dismissal

“We are at a loss. If there was a heinous crime committed, the media would have told us.”

By Randy Abraham

Katherine Murphy, who was ousted last month as principal of Aventura City of Excellence School (ACES), has filed a lawsuit against the city, said City Attorney Richard Weiss.

“We believe the lawsuit is truly frivolous and we will move to dismiss,” Weiss said.

No one is saying why former principal Katherine Murphy was dismissed last month from the city’s charter school. Weiss told parents who criticized the move at a Jan. 9 City Commission meeting that there were compelling reasons for the sudden ouster.

City officials last week heard from two parents of Aventura City of Excellence School charter students who expressed concern over how Murphy’s dismissal was handled.

Sheryl Berkowitz said the city conducted the teacher’s dismissal “disrespectfully” and did not allow her the opportunity to say goodbye to her students. She said she did not intend to challenge the city’s decision, but wanted to know if city commissioners and Murphy were given a chance to hear the criticisms against her, and whether Murphy was given the opportunity to respond to those criticisms.

Berkowitz noted it was ironic that Murphy, who had championed implementing a character education program that promotes values, was herself not afforded the respect recommended by that program.

ACES parent Tanya Villa also came to criticize the manner in which Murphy was dismissed. As reported last month in the Miami Herald, Murphy, ACES principal since the charter school was founded in 2003, was fired a day after she refused to resign voluntarily for undisclosed reasons. Villa said she could not imagine why Murphy would merit an immediate ouster. “We are at a loss. If there was a heinous crime committed, the media would have told us,” said Villa. “It has affected all of us, not just the children.”

City Attorney Richard Weiss instructed city officials, however, not to respond to the residents, since the matter could go into litigation. He said he had information that he could not disclose that would support the city’s decision to fire Murphy.

Berkowitz afterward said that when she went to a Jan. 8 meeting of the ACES School Advisory Board, the first since the firing, she and other parents requesting to speak were asked to provide their names and addresses. She sad she felt intimidated by that procedure.

City Manager Eric Soroka, however, said the request that speakers identify themselves came from a court reporter hired by Murphy, and not from the city. “We’ve never asked anyone to stand up and tell us who they are,” said Soroka, who added that there has been no “groundswell” of criticism from parents over Murphy’s dismissal. “The school is functioning fine. There’s no groundswell from parents or we would have heard from them,” he said.

The city’s charter school is operated by a management firm but the school’s budget is approved by the City Commission, and the principal is a city employee who answers to the city manager. Last year ACES was ranked an A school based on student FCAT scores, a boost from a B ranking the prior year. Assistant Principal Julie Alm is serving as ACES acting director until a permanent principal is appointed.

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