Stamford's assistant superintendent has rescinded his resignation and the superintendent is withdrawing her recommendation to terminate an assistant superintendent at the high school after a scandal involving a teacher having sex with a student.
Assistant Principal Angela Thomas-Graves faced termination after her suspension when allegations first came out that English teacher Danielle Watkins had sex with one of her students and provided him and another boy with marijuana. Thomas-Graves returned to work after a week. Fernandes had offered to resign.
Stamford Superintendent Winifred Hamilton had recommended her termination. But she is now supporting keeping both Thomas-Graves and Fernandes on staff after receiving "an outpouring of support from administrators, teachers, parents, and students" for them and a considerable amount of "reflection, discussion and deliberation." So, she withdrew her recommendation to terminate Thomas-Graves and asked Fernandes to take back his resignation. Fernandes agreed to do so.
Rather than resigning, Fernandes will serve a one-month, or 20 day, suspension without pay and continue his role as assistant superintendent.
"As superintendent, I have always listened carefully to those who have come forward to express themselves and, when possible, addressed their concerns in a positive way in order to do what’s best for Stamford’s students," Hamilton said.
She said that "there will always be varying opinions on each issue," but she spent a lot of time "weighing the level of culpability of these two individuals in this matter, against their otherwise exemplary and long-standing careers in Stamford." Thomas-Graves has been working in Stamford for 24 years and Fernandes has been in the district for 15.
"I believe it would be a major loss to the district for either of them to leave," Hamilton said.
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As for Thomas-Graves, Hamilton said "we currently have an agreement in principle with Angela Thomas-Graves that she will not be terminated."
"I will share more details regarding the specifics of her employment as soon as they are available," she said.
Meanwhile the district is searching for a new principal after Hamilton recommended Stamford High School principal Donna Valentine's dismissal, accusing her of failing to report suspicions about Watkins to state officials and police. Hamilton also moved to terminate Assistant Principal Roth Nordin. Both were suspended.
An attorney for Valentine says she will fight a recommendation that she be fired.
Watkins is now serving a five-year prison sentence.
Stephen Falcone, executive director of human resources for Stamford Public Schools, has been suspended for one month. Head of security Curtis Tinnin, security guard James Jordan and high school social worker James Cooney received letters of warning, the superintendent said.
