Heritage principal's emails in question

LIMA — While district officials believe emails Heritage Elementary School Principal Kevin Fraley sent to staff members were “inappropriate and unprofessional,” he contends they were his way of “pouring into” and building up his staff.

He also said Superintendent Karel Oxley and Assistant Superintendent Jill Ackerman wanted to punish and embarrass him.

“In my mind, certainly it was a witch hunt,” he said.

Fraley, 54, was informed Jan. 31 that he would be put on paid administrative leave while district officials investigated the emails. Fraley, who has been with the district for 31 years, submitted his resignation for retirement purposes the same day.

“In the course of presenting those [emails], Mr. Fraley chose to retire,” Oxley said. “He was clearly informed that what we had discovered in the preliminary investigation would be turned over to the office of professional conduct, and they would make their decision based upon that information.”

Oxley said that while investigating another matter the week of Jan. 24, Ackerman discovered emails with staff members that they deemed unprofessional conduct.

On Friday, Ackerman sent a letter to the state that said the emails sent to Heritage teachers were “inappropriate and unprofessional, some of which contained sexual overtones.”

No one else is being investigated. The investigation had just gotten started, Oxley said, and ended when Fraley resigned.

Ackerman said no one was out to get Fraley.

The emails “are there, we saw them, we believe they are unprofessional,” she said. “We believe they are not acceptable, so we acted on it.”

The information, obtained by The Lima News through a public records request, includes nearly 100 emails sent since early 2009. A few were sent to multiple staff members, but most to just a few teachers. The majority are to one teacher. The emails include compliments for hard work and classroom skills, but also on their appearances.

“Please do not lose any more weight. You have the best body and the most amazing little tush ever,” one read. “Men love dimples! You have 2 million of them on that gorgeous face,” another read. Another, “You are dynamite in a small package.” Some included pet names: “My Beautiful Christmas Elf,” and “My Sweet Babboo.”

Fraley said the emails, while maybe seeming inappropriate from the outside, were his way of encouraging staff and making them feel good about themselves, especially when they were going through a difficult time. He called the Heritage staff a close-knit family. A personal trainer comes into the school to work with interested staff, he said, leading to some of the comments about appearance.

“I know sometimes they [emails] look a little blue, a little offbeat, but in the context of the Heritage family and my fatherly love, brotherly love, close-friend love for them, it is not something that was received as bad or negative or nasty at all,” he said.

The emails were sent via the district computer system. Most of the emails were located within teachers' databases. Ackerman said she did not find responses from staff members to Fraley. No one reported the emails or has claimed harassment.

Fraley said he has seen an outpouring of support from staff members since retiring. He showed The Lima News text messages from teachers, including some who were recipients of the emails in question.

“You can ask anyone on that staff if they have felt threatened by me, creeped out by me, harassed by me, and they would unequivocally tell you no,” he said.

The main issue, Oxley said, is that Fraley sent the messages to staff members he supervises.

“When principals are in the position that they are leading a building, the relationship between them and the people they supervise and evaluate has its own standards,” she said.

Fraley said he had been considering retiring for awhile, citing the district restructuring last year and constant “grousing” from Oxley and Ackerman.

“My management style is very different from them,” he said. “I became increasingly unhappy and they became increasingly more critical of me.”

Fraley said Oxley and Ackerman questioned how he handled another situation regarding a Lima schools family and Children Services. He was never disciplined, but Fraley said they wanted to and used that situation as an excuse to look at the emails.

Ackerman said that in the course of investigating the first situation, she saw a suspicious email, which led to her looking further. It is not a common practice to do so, she said.

“I don't just go in looking for things unless I have a reason to go in looking for things,” she said.

Fraley said the biggest insult came with the report to the state.

The district is mandated to contact the state, Ackerman said, anytime someone resigns during an investigation into unprofessional behavior.

Neither Fraley nor the district had been contacted by the state. It could take a few weeks. The state could temporarily or permanently suspend his professional license, write a letter of admonishment to be put in his personnel file, or do nothing.

Fraley has been in education 33 years. He taught at Whittier Elementary School, and served as principal at Lowell, Horace Mann and then Heritage elementary schools. Ackerman said no one argues the impact Fraley has had on Heritage, a school that has been deemed excellent by the state for the past four years.

“He has done very well there,” she said. “It is a well-run building and the scores reflect the level of education that those kids get under his leadership. We are not disputing that at all.”