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Teaneck NJ, Pedro Valdes III, the former principal of Teaneck High School, has filed a legal complaint against the township’s Board of Education, citing retaliation and improper displacement from his position. The lawsuit, submitted to the state Superior Court in Bergen County on December 19, follows an earlier complaint lodged with the Public Employment Relations Commission on May 31.
Allegations of Retaliation
The legal filings state that Valdes was “improperly retaliated against” after several disagreements with the newly appointed Schools Superintendent, Andre Spencer. A key point of contention between the two leaders was the handling of a November 2023 student protest. The protest, staged in support of Hamas and critical of Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, became a flashpoint in the school community.
Valdes reportedly advocated for holding the protest off-campus to minimize disruption, whereas Superintendent Spencer supported an on-campus demonstration to uphold students’ First Amendment rights. The students ultimately began their protest on school grounds before moving to the municipal building, a decision Spencer allegedly attributed to Valdes’ influence.
Change in Position
In December 2023, the Board of Education removed Valdes from his role as principal of the 1,200-student Teaneck High School, reassigning him as “principal on assignment.” Shortly after, Valdes was appointed principal of the Teaneck Early Learning Center, which serves only 27 students with two teachers.
Community Response and Legal Challenges
The board’s decision to reassign Valdes has faced scrutiny. At a December 11 Parent Teacher Organization meeting, parents expressed support for Valdes’ actions during the protest, commending his focus on student safety. However, at a December 13 board meeting, other parents criticized Superintendent Spencer, accusing him of failing to address antisemitic hate speech linked to the protest.
Adding to the controversy, the legality of the board meetings leading to Valdes’ reassignment has been called into question. Former Councilman Keith Kaplan and other residents argue that the board failed to meet state-mandated public notice requirements for these meetings. A judge ruled in November that the board had not yet complied with retroactive notice orders.
Valdes’ Career and Past Allegations
Valdes, a Teaneck High School alumnus, joined the district as an assistant principal during the 2012-2013 school year. He later served as principal of Whittier Elementary School before being reassigned to Teaneck High School in 2020.
Notably, Valdes faced a legal challenge in June 2020 when a Whittier Elementary special education teacher accused him of “overly flirtatious” behavior and alleged wrongful termination after resisting his advances. This case was settled out of court for $50,000 in March 2022.
What’s Next?
As the legal process unfolds, Valdes’ complaint highlights broader tensions within the school district, from leadership disagreements to community concerns over policy and protest management. The outcome of the lawsuit could have significant implications for school governance and administrative policies in Teaneck.
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