A year after kicking off a grade-tampering probe at Hillhouse High School, Assistant Principal Shirley Love-Joyner has announced her retirement.
Love-Joyner is retiring effective Dec. 1. Her retirement was approved at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. She has been out on medical leave since Jan. 9, shortly after she filed a complaint accusing her principal, Kermit Carolina, of grade-tampering. A report found most of her claims to be unsubstantiated.
Carolina, who has denied any wrongdoing, served a three-day suspension in connection to four charges that resulted from the probe.
Love-Joyner has also filed a defamation lawsuit against the Board of Ed.
The retirement does not represent a resolution of the lawsuit — far from it, said Superintendent Reggie Mayo. Love-Joyner just submitted an amended complaint elaborating on the charges—click here to read the document. Carolina’s lawyer, Michael Jefferson, has dismissed the suit an attempt to “retaliate against Mr. Carolina with flimsy allegations because her duties were modified and her longstanding level of comfort at Hillhouse disturbed.”
Love-Joyner chose to retire because “she has medical advice that she could not return to Hillhouse under the circumstances,” said her lawyer, Joseph Garrison of New Haven. He declined to elaborate. She worked in the public schools since 1978.
Love-Joyner filed for early retirement, according to Mayo. In her retirement, she’ll make between $43,000 and $75,000 per year, a percentage of her highest three years’ salaries. The percentage depends on her date of hire; the school district and Love-Joyner gave conflicting dates. Benefits are determined by the state Teachers Retirement Board.
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• Hillhouse Principal “Not Backing Down”
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• Report: Hillhouse Has Rule-Bending “Culture”
• Hillhouse Probe Stretches Out, Tops $26K
• Asst. Principal Sues Ed Board In Hillhouse Case
• Jefferson: School Official Shouldn’t Be In Room
• Hillhouse Rallies For Carolina
• New Suspect Named In Grade-Changing Probe
• Jefferson Calls For “Conflict”-Free Investigator
• He Was Where?
• A Standoff In Grade Probe
• Investigation Formally Revealed At “Emergency” School Board Meeting
• Out Of Public View, Schools Rush “Emergency” Pre-Xmas Meeting On Grade-Altering Charges