Former Principal Sues Denver Schools, Alleging Discrimination

DENVER, CO — The former principal of Wyatt Academy in Denver is suing Denver Public Schools, claiming she was fired for being white after community activists questioned her handling of a fight between students, according to a report. Kristina Riley was terminated in July 2018, a few weeks after the district renewed her contract for another year.

The incident in question involved three female students in fifth grade who fought on the playground after an argument, the Denver Post reports. Riley suspended the three students for three days, but later reduced the suspensions after speaking with the students’ parents. In the lawsuit filed against the school system, Riley said an investigation into the fight found she did nothing wrong.

However, the lawsuit also alleges that community activists claimed Riley was the target of Hasira Ashemu, a community activist from Our Voice, Our Schools, who released video of the fight on social media. According to the lawsuit, Ashemu called Riley and other white school administrators “colonizers.”

Ashemu, however, told the Post it wasn’t about Riley’s race but rather that she didn’t come forward and report the fight until video was made public on social media, and also that she encouraged parents to press charges against each other’s children.