Fayette schools ‘conspiring’ to keep Dunbar principal suspended, amended lawsuit alleges

The attorney for suspended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Principal Marlon Ball filed an amended lawsuit Monday against Fayette County Public Schools claiming the district is trying to keep Ball on administrative leave until his contract expires and then refuse to renew his contract.

School district officials “maliciously” placed Ball on administrative leave without stating a reason and without any justification, the lawsuit said. The latest extension of the leave was imposed without notice, the amended lawsuit said.

The defendants are “conspiring to keep Mr. Ball on administrative leave until his contract expires and then refuse to renew the contract,” the amended lawsuit said.

In an interview with the Herald-Leader, Ball’s attorney Dale Golden said the Fayette school district is trying to force Ball to resign, but he won’t.

School district officials are trying to “force him to resign as a result of there being no grounds whatsoever for him being on administrative leave,” the lawsuit said.

Ball, who was placed on paid administrative leave in November 2022, last month filed a lawsuit against school district officials. The lawsuit said Ball was the victim of unfair treatment and retaliation.

Golden said that as of Monday, neither he nor Ball had been told anything about the purpose of the investigation.

The lawsuit claims district officials’ statements to the media following former Dunbar athletic director Jason Howell’s death, which has been investigated as a suicide, created a causal link to a tragic situation.

The district announced Ball’s administrative leave in a statement mourning Howell.

After not interviewing Ball at all for four months, Golden said school district officials recently wanted to talk to Ball. But he said they canceled that interview after Golden asked that it be recorded and videotaped.

Fayette school district officials did not immediately comment Monday. They have previously said they could not comment on pending litigation.

The new amended lawsuit said Ball cannot get other employment while the investigation is going on and the window of opportunity for him to seek other employment is rapidly closing.