PRESS RELEASE: Longtime Southeast School Administrator Files for DC Whistleblower Protections
PRESS RELEASE
EMBARGOED UNTIL July 1, 2020
Contact: Tom Donohue
Office: 202-525-4390 x102
Email: [email protected]
|
Who: |
Mr. Marlon Ray. Director of Strategy & Logistics at Lawrence E. Boone Elementary |
|
What: |
Whistle Blower Protections |
|
When: |
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 3:00 PM |
|
Virtually: |
Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIoc-utqDwsGtWI8JjcXzrjqXru-VKhM5ti |
|
Resources: |
Upon Registering please look for an email from Airsend which gives access to media kit, ability to chat with Ray it includes Video of Ray interacting with Students, Parent & student protest, B-roll of School, Ray bio, Whistleblower notification, press release, and entire presser upon completion |
Longtime Southeast School Administrator Files for DC Whistleblower Protections
Ray files for protection after revealing disparate treatment of Black students and evidence of procurement fraud in conjunction with Relay program.
Washington, DC, June 29, 2020: Mr. Marlon Ray, Director of Strategy and Logistics at Lawrence E. Boone Elementary, recently filed for whistleblower protection with the DC Public Schools. Mr. Ray sought these protections due to his revelation of disparate treatment of Black children in Wards 7 and 8 under the Relay Graduate School of Education or (RGSE). Mr. Ray also seeks whistleblower protection for revealing knowledge of misappropriations and other wrongdoing concerning the District of Columbia's government payments to Relay as well as a DC Public Schools purchase order.
In his letter to DC School officials, Mr. Ray noted that he had "become aware of fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement" in the Relay Graduate School of Education and that he considered it a threat "to the health and wellness of DCPS children."
Mr. Ray seeks an immediate investigation into the Disparate Treatment of Black children in Ward 7 and Ward 8, being subjected to Relay: a widely-known school-to-prison pipeline structure with racist and militaristic practice, while schools with predominately White students are not subjected to Relay practices."
Mr. Ray also believes that Dr. Carolyn Jackson, the 18-year DCPS Principal of Lawrence E. Boone Elementary was terminated for not supporting Relay and not as a result of low scores alleged by the DCPS chancellor, to DC At Large City Councilmember Robert White, at the recent DCPS budget hearing.
He offers his support to those students and members of the community who have protested Dr. Jackson's firing. In his letter, Ray notes that “I am compelled to bring this to your attention, as required by under the District law covering Whistleblowing (DC Official Code § 1-615.51 et seq.) (2001 Ed.; 2006 Repl.)"
Mr. Ray further emphasizes his position by stating, “I will no longer stand by while our Ward 7 and 8 scholars and my neighbors’ children are subjected to the teachings forced upon them through the Relay program and will not sit back accepting cuts in the budget to Ward 7 and 8 while these appropriations of public money are in question related to Relay.”
District Elementary Chief, Dr. Jeffrey Holmes, admitted that there was "no data" that shows Relay has produced successful outcomes within the DCPS. Mr. Ray also reports that several cities and states have previously denied Relay access to their students due to their own concerns.
Relay advertises itself as a teacher and administrator program that trains participants with a curriculum "rooted in pedagogical theory and grounded in evidence of what works best in schools." Their stated goal is "to provide all PK-12 students with high-quality education and choice-filled lives."
In contrast, Mr. Ray feels the program has had harmful effects on DC students and that financial malfeasance and unfair personnel terminations have resulted from the district's partnership with the organization.
###