Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 27, 1990 TAG: 9007270363
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MARGARET CAMLIN NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Jill Graybeal, retired assistant superintendent for personnel for Montgomery County schools, has been sued for $500,000 by Leonard Session, who says he was denied a job as a school administrator because he is black.
Session, who has unsuccessfully applied for several assistant principal positions in Montgomery, filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Roanoke. He is seeking a trial by jury.
One of his attorneys, Warren D. Harless of Richmond, said Graybeal was not named as a defendant in a similar suit filed in September because he did not know Graybeal's position in the school system then.
Graybeal headed an interview committee that screened and interviewed applicants, the suit says.
"I have not been served with papers," Graybeal said Thursday. She said the suit was news to her.
In September, Session filed a suit against Superintendent Harold Dodge, Christiansburg High School Principal George Porterfield and former Personnel Director T.O. Williams, alleging that they "intentionally discriminated against [the] plaintiff because of his race."
Session has taught vocational education at Glenvar High School for 12 years. He has never held an administrative position, although he handles some administrative duties at Glenvar. He earned a master's degree in vocational education from Virginia Tech in August 1988.
Session claims in his suits that he applied for assistant principal positions at Christiansburg High, Blacksburg Middle and Blacksburg High schools from January through July 1988.
Session's suits say he was "more qualified, and has more years of teaching/administrative experience than the white persons hired for each of the aforementioned administrative positions."
At least three of the assistant principals who were hired came to the job with several years' administrative experience.
Luther Smith, who became Blacksburg High's assistant principal, had worked eight years as an elementary school principal, five years as a high school assistant principal, one year as a middle school principal and five years as a teacher.
Keith Rowland, who became Christiansburg High's assistant principal, had worked for three years as an assistant principal at Floyd County High School and taught for eight years.
Dean Rowe, the other man hired to be assistant principal at Christiansburg High, had been assistant principal at Auburn High School for five years and a teacher for 13.
Wanda Price, who was hired as assistant principal at Blacksburg Middle School, had been a teacher and administrator in Montgomery County and an administrator in Campbell County, according to Deputy Superintendent Curtis Gray.
Since September, the school system has hired three blacks for administrative jobs - including a new assistant superintendent for personnel, John Martin.
by CNB