Terminated Christian Brothers principal filing lawsuit against Sacramento school’s board
Former Christian Brothers High School principal Chris Orr announced Thursday he is filing a federal civil lawsuit against the school’s board of directors for wrongful termination and retaliation.
Orr made the announcement he was filing the lawsuit in federal court at a press conference outside the high school. He was accompanied by civil rights activist Cornel West, a native of Sacramento.
Orr was removed from his position on Oct. 11 with little explanation.
Orr said he called for the school to be transparent and accountable without resorting to litigation, but said he was unable to accomplish that with the school board. Orr said his legal team, local NAACP leaders, the Sacramento Urban League and other community members tried to engage with Lorcan Barnes, the school’s president, and the board of trustees to no avail.
“The lawsuit would set forth detailed facts demonstrating the unlawfulness of my termination,” he said to a crowd of reporters, parents, students and community members. “When this federal complaint is filed, all we want is the truth. We want the truth to be exposed. We want honesty and accountability, and I have been saying that since day one.”
Orr said the school administration is engaging in an “exclusive private narrative that exists between Mr. Barnes and the trustees,” and referred to secret accreditation reports and secret board policies. Neither Orr nor West, who are black, accused school administration of racial discrimination, but school officials released a statement to The Sacramento Bee condemning the notion that Orr’s termination are discriminatory.
“Accusations of racism and retaliation are abhorrent and completely contrary to Christian Brothers High School’s core values as a Lasallian Catholic School,” read the statement.
School officials said they could not publicly share details regarding a personnel issue, and they have not seen a complaint and cannot comment on pending litigation.
“The hope is that at some point within these eight weeks, someone was going to stand up, some leader was going to stand up and say let’s operate with the level of dignity, of accountability, or character, or integrity,” Orr said. “However, that’s not being done.”
West said he came from Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he teaches at Harvard University to stand by Orr. West called him one of the finest educational leaders in the history of Sacramento.
“There is a spirit of arrogance, condescension, impunity and accountability, thinking you can treat those of the highest excellence anyway you want and get away with it,” West said. “We are here to say no. We are here to say you can’t get away with it.”
Parents and students gathered in support of Orr, some of them holding signs in protest of his termination.
“As a parent, my duty is to fond out what is going on,” said John Wells III, whose daughter attends the school. “I am eager to see justice. (Orr) is a good man and he has connected the community in so many ways.”
Orr’s exit closely follows the departure of Christian Brothers’ president. The school’s Board of Trustees chairman, Stephen Mahaney, announced in a letter July 18 that this year will be Barnes’ final year at the school. The school announcements did not specify a reason.
Shortly after the announcement, Barnes sent an email to Orr, telling him that it will be Orr’s final year at the helm, creating a rallying cry throughout the Oak Park school, where Orr was celebrated as the first black principal of the highly esteemed private Catholic high school.
Christian Brothers is one of two co-educational four-year Catholic high school in Sacramento. Following its Lasallian and Catholic traditions, the school serves a diverse range of students who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
“Christian Brothers is trying to say they’re inclusive,” said student Sarai Rice, 15. “But doing this to Principal Orr is not showing it.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 2:59 PM.