Burbank High Principal to Step Down

After trying for nearly two years to mend the rifts between factions of teachers and students at Burbank High School, Principal Willard E. Williams will step down Monday, school district officials said Monday.

Williams took the helm of Burbank High on the heels of a scandal in which widely popular principal Keiko Hentell was demoted without explanation, damaging the morale of students and staff.

School district officials said Williams acknowledged that the problems had not been resolved and that he voluntarily agreed to be transferred to the district offices, where he will work as administrator of special projects for the remainder of the school year.

“There are extreme tensions that have developed over the years at Burbank High,” said district Supt. David Aponik. “The teachers have become divided into different groups, and some of them did not like his leadership style.”

“When he came in, everyone knew it would be difficult,” added school board member Denise Lioy Wilcox. “In some ways, his was a thankless task.”

Williams was appointed in August 1994, several months after the board removed Hentell from the post. Hentell had drawn fire from some district officials for promoting the formation of student clubs representing various ethnic groups on campus. She later filed a civil rights lawsuit claiming she lost her job because of racism and sexism in the district. Hentell dropped the suit last year, but the district racked up $300,000 in legal fees defending itself.

Aponik said Betty Steinkolk, a former administrator in the district, will take over Monday as interim principal. A permanent replacement will be selected before the start of the next school year, he said.