The principal of McKinley Technology High School has been placed on paid administrative leave by D.C. Public Schools as they investigate allegations that he tampered with grades and falsified credits for graduating seniors.
The allegations against David Pinder, and DCPS’ investigation into them, were first reported by The Washington Examiner in Tuesday’s paper.
“The decision, which follows a series of investigations, is not a finding of misconduct. However, it is a necessary precaution given additional information which we received this week,” DCPS spokesman Fred Lewis said in an email.
DCPS had assigned investigator Eastern Stewart to track McKinley’s spending of an $100,000 award from the AARP. The attorney general’s office handed those findings over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office last week, saying “the funds may have been mishandled,” the Examiner reported.
Over the course of that investigation, Stewart also discovered possible grade-doctoring by Pinder. Current and former McKinley employees told The Washington Examiner that Pinder instructed data clerks to doctor transcripts for several years at the Northeast magnet school.
Transcripts obtained by The Examiner of 13 12th-grade students in the 2008-2009 school year show “David Pinder” listed as the teacher of courses such as Programming for Multimedia, Intro to Digital Media, Interactive Media, and Principles of U.S. Government. In some cases, students received grades for the classes — never below a “C.” Most were given a “P” for passing.
Pinder declined to comment on the charges. He does not teach any classes.
A current staffer said Pinder directed the school’s data clerks to assign students credits that they did not earn. “He did it kind of quite often, and my reaction was pretty contained, but I thought it was ridiculous,” the staffer said.
