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Austintown principal demoted, but will keep job after suspension
Penk Agreement
Document
An agreement between former Austintown Middle School Principal James Penk and the Austintown Local School district allows Penk to return from administrative leave. The agreement demotes Penk to the role of assistant principal at Austintown Fitch High School after he allegedly kept and handled a knife in his desk in violation of school policy.
AUSTINTOWN
The Austintown Board of Education voted to reinstate former middle school Principal James Penk, who has been on administrative leave since March 16.
Penk will work as an assistant principal at Austintown Fitch High School, a demotion from his previous role as middle school principal.
The district investigated two instances of alleged misbehavior, which Superintendent Vince Colaluca said were severe enough to consider termination.
Penk allegedly had a large kitchen knife in his desk that he had found in a trash bin. He kept it and handled it in a manner against school policy during interactions with subordinates. The district consulted with the Austintown Police Department, who determined that Penk did not commit a criminal offense.
An agreement between Penk and the board states that he will lose 10 days pay, attend management training and receive a reduction in salary as he moves from principal to assistant principal.
The resolution to accept the agreement was approved on a 4-1 vote with board member Harold Porter voting against the measure.