UPDATED: Aquila Elementary Principal Replaced

Two weeks after a group of parents at began the school's principal and demanding her ouster, the St. Louis Park School District announced Monday that Freida Bailey had been placed on leave and a temporary replacement was named.

The parents, including several members of the school's parent-teacher organization, accused Bailey of mishandling three bullying incidents, "lacking school spirit" and displaying poor leadership that—they claimed—created a poor learning environment for their children.

Clarence Pollock was named Aquila's interim principal "effective today," according to an announcement posted on the district's website.

Pollock was the assistant principal at . Those duties will be taken on by Scott Meyers, a science teacher at . Meyers has also served as the principal of a summer school program run by St. Louis Park schools.

“He’s going to have a big job ahead of him trying to unify the staff,” said Aquila parent Liza Jacobson, one of the roughly 65 parents who called for Bailey’s removal.

Jacobson said she was very pleased with the district’s decision to place Bailey on leave and fill her place with a principal with a reputation for dealing successfully with student discipline issues.

“I can’t see the board placing (Bailey) back in that position,” she added. “If the board tried to do that, there would be a huge outcry.”

School board spokeswoman Sara Thompson said the district has not decided how long Pollock and Meyers would remain in their “interim” roles.

Thompson claimed the school board and district administration are examining the parents’ allegations, but refused to comment on what has been uncovered so far. She declined to characterize the effort as an investigation.

“Investigation is too strong of a word,” Thompson said.

In response to questions about safety conditions at Aquila, Thompson would only say that “our highest priority is on student safety and student achievement.”

Thompson declined to discuss the district’s reasons for removing Bailey, citing federal and state personnel privacy laws.