Hartland School Board Votes Not to Renew Tracey Sahouri's Contract

Members of the Hartland School Board voted 6-0 not to renew Tracey Sahouri's contract as an assistant principal at during a meeting Monday night. Treasurer Charlie Aberasturi was not in attendance.

Sahouri's current agreement extends through June 30, 2013 and stipulates that Superintendent Janet Sifferman has the ability to place her in any role she deems necessary. On Monday, Sifferman asked the board that Sahouri for the 2012-13 school year.

"Mrs. Sahouri's administrative contract will run for one more year at which time other arrangements will be made for her employment," said Board President Kevin Kaszyca. "She will not be fired from the district."

Sahouri's stems from allegations that she during her time at , where she was employed as principal until November of last year. 

During the public comments portion of the meeting, several parents and current and former students spoke out in support of Sahouri maintaining her administrative position with the district.

Many reprimanded the board for how Sahouri's removal from Creekside was handled.

"You want to talk about administrators handling things badly?" said Hartland parent Michelle Gonzalez. "Maybe you should take a look at your own actions."

Others simply spoke of her character and cited personal experiences with Sahouri during her tenure with Hartland Consolidated Schools.

Keith Van Houten, a parent in the district, credited Sahouri for helping his family handle their son's illness "with the utmost professionalism as she helped us navigate that situation.

"Losing Tracey from an administrative position would be a tremendous loss for the district," he said.

Van Houten also questioned the "negative and caustic environment" he read about in reports available under the Freedom of Information Act. He wondered how that could exist in an climate where such good results have been produced.

"All of the positive you are hearing tonight about Mrs. Sahouri by far outweighs the one bad thing," Hartland High School senior Abby Militzer said. "She cares so much and she has the heart to be Vice Principal at Hartland High School."

Kaszyca said that the motives of the administration were not shadowed by the that Sahouri faced last summer.

"I also want to clarify for any of you that have read the state report and our own summary of our investigation, that this is not ... just about opening some test pamphlets and having them in an unsecured room," Kaszyca said.

"Our administrators are held to the highest standard," Kaszyca continued. "Leadership, trust, honesty, you cannot be an administrator in this district if you do not have those qualities. This board has never shied away from tough decisions."

Audience members, including Sahouri's husband Raed, spoke out that the decision to remove Sahouri from her administrative position was made long ago.

"I'm sorry, I can't just sit here and hear this without all of the truth being out there," Raed Sahouri said. 

Sahouri said his wife was told in November to stop attending administrator meetings.

"What can you do? I'm fighting politics. I don't really have any response," Tracey Sahouri said after the vote.

"But my love will still remain with the children," she said. "I'll continue to be an assistant principal at the high school until the end of the year and give it my all."

Sahouri said she does plan for litigation.