Pontiac High School Principal Terminated, Files a Lawsuit
In Pontiac, things are getting a little hotter than usual this summer, as a lawsuit that involves the city’s school district and a high school principal has come under the spotlight.
Lee Montgomery, the principal who had been with Pontiac High School since 2022, was fired in April this year. That fact alone could raise eyebrows, but what’s more, is that he was terminated just five days after he filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the district.
Montgomery has pointed fingers at various parties in his lawsuit, including the Pontiac School District, a pair of school board trustees, and the association representing most administrators in the Pontiac district. He alleges that his dismissal was due to cronyism, nepotism, and internal disputes within the district.
Also, the lawsuit claims that there was sex discrimination by the district, a clear violation of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. It further alleges that the school board breached the Open Meetings Act when they ignored his appeal to discuss his job status in a public meeting.
In a statement sent to us, the district explained that Montgomery had mishandled a student’s complaint back in December 2023, which led to a violation of district policy and was contrary to the standards expected of school administrators.
After joining the district in 2012 as Pontiac Middle School’s assistant principal, Montgomery climbed his way up to the position of high school principal a decade later. However, the graduation rates over his tenure saw only a marginal increase from 57% to 63% in 2023, falling short of the state’s lowest required rate of 67%. The rates for 2024 remain undisclosed for now.
The events leading up to Montgomery’s dismissal are somewhat unsettling. According to the lawsuit, disputes with the district’s security chief, Val Gross, came to a head when Montgomery disciplined a school security officer for mistreatment of a student. Also, a few student incidents raised questions about his handling and implementation of the district protocol, ultimately prompting the board’s action against him.
What makes this issue even more intriguing is the claim that another district principal, Suzanne Kavanaugh, was only disciplined but not terminated, despite omitting to report a similar incident as required by law. This discrepancy forms a major part of the sex discrimination charges in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks a base amount of $25,000 in damages, plus an unspecified sum that would be determined at the trial. Montgomery has demanded a jury trial, which is set for 8:30 a.m. on April 29, 2025, before Sixth Circuit Court Judge Daniel P. O’Brien.
As we await further developments on this intriguing case, it’ll be interesting to see how it unravels and what impact it’ll have on the Pontiac school district as a whole. Until then, Pontiac High School students can look forward to meeting a new face, Teni Clark-Franklin, as their interim principal when they return to school on September 3.
