May 19--A presidential election featuring two controversial candidates has put a charge into a normally low-profile association representing Chicago school principals and administrators.
One candidate is Troy LaRaviere, the outspoken elementary school principal who was abruptly removed from his post by Chicago Public Schools and now faces termination. His opponent, Kenneth Hunter, is a retired principal who was hit with criminal harassment charges just as ballots were being cast.
"This has just been such an incredibly -- I don't even know if the word is negative -- I think 'shocking' is more akin to it. This has been a shocking election," said Clarice Berry, who has been president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association since 2004.
Berry, who is stepping down, said controversy over the campaign has grown into "an embarrassment to our association."
"There are people asking if this election can be vacated and done over," Berry said. "But our attorney says we can't. It's just not possible because of our constitution. ... I'm just heartsick about this whole thing."
The association, which is not a union but negotiates with CPS over issues including policy and school administrator salaries, is set to announce results of the election Thursday
The race garnered fresh attention after CPS yanked LaRaviere from his post at Blaine Elementary last month. LaRaviere, a longtime critic of CPS and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, was ousted because of insubordination over a controversial standardized test and for conducting personal business and political work on district time, CPS said.
Then on May 10, Hunter turned himself into police and was subsequently served with a protection order and charged with harassment by electronic means, according to a Chicago police report.
Hunter was accused of contacting a woman "multiple times after being told by the victim to stop texting," the report said. Hunter "self admits texting the victim numerous times," the report said.
Hunter, in an interview Wednesday, said his arrest was related to a domestic dispute and suggested his enemies used the case to advance LaRaviere's campaign.
"This came from a woman with whom I had a nearly two-year relationship," Hunter said. "She called the police the same week she had scheduled a speaking engagement for Troy."
Hunter said he found it "oddly coincidental" that the complaint was filed and his arrest occurred as CPAA members were casting ballots and LaRaviere was making a series of public appearances. In an email to CPS employees sent over the weekend, Hunter said the timing of the events "certainly seems politically motivated to me."
