Principal of Inglewood School Removed

Inglewood school district officials have abruptly removed the principal of Hillcrest High School, Leonard Matthews, and placed him on paid leave.

Supt. Rex Fortune would not comment, except to say that Matthews was placed on administrative leave on Jan. 13. Arnold Butler, assistant principal at Morningside High School, has been appointed acting principal at Hillcrest.

Matthews referred questions to his attorney, Johnnie Cochran, who also declined to explain what had happened.

At Odds With Superintendent

Several sources said Matthews has been at odds with Fortune as a result of the principal’s longtime support of school board members and other Inglewood politicians hostile to the superintendent.

In interviews, former school board member W. R. (Tony) Draper and other sources said Matthews is a longtime supporter of present and former board members aligned with Mayor Edward Vincent. A board faction fired Fortune in 1985, but the superintendent was rehired a few months later after a storm of protest from the community.

Factional lines on the board have blurred since one board member died and two others lost in last year’s elections. Fortune adversary William Dorn lost to Zyra McCloud, a supporter of the superintendent. Draper, a Vincent critic who had opposed firing Fortune, lost to Lois Hill-Hale, who has been described as attempting to maintain relations with both sides.

Vincent ally Ernest Shaw, who died in September, has not been replaced pending a special election in June.

Campaign Site

Draper said that before the April primary last year, Fortune came to board members with a report that Matthews had used school district equipment to run off campaign materials promoting a “meet-the-candidates” event at Vincent campaign headquarters.

Draper said Fortune wanted to discipline Matthews by placing him on three days unpaid leave, but some board members resisted that effort and Matthews was reprimanded instead, Draper said.

Board member Caroline Coleman declined to comment, others who were on the board at that time could not be reached.

Ken Franklin, president of the Inglewood Teachers Assn., said Matthews’ removal was part of an ongoing conflict between the principal and Fortune. Franklin said he did not know the grounds for the action, which he said was a political move made possible by the new makeup on the board.

“It’s sent shock waves across the district,” Franklin said.

Franklin said the teachers union had a few “strictly administrative” grievances at Hillcrest, but said they were not serious.

The school is a continuation high school for students with special educational needs.