Ethics Complaint Filed Against Stamford Superintendent, Teachers Union Says

STAMFORD, CT — The Stamford Education Association says it has filed a formal ethics complaint against Superintendent of Stamford Public Schools Dr. Tamu Lucero.

In an announcement posted to social media, the SEA says the complaint, which was submitted last week to State Department of Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker, "outlines concerns related to the conduct unbecoming of a district leader and numerous violations of the Connecticut Code of Professional Responsibility for School Administrators by Lucero."

The SEA said concerns include:

• Failure to provide a safe and orderly learning environment
• Coercion and lack of transparency in the implementation of a new high school schedule
• Mishandling student discipline and false accusations
• Misuse of administrative position and potential conflicts of interest

"Our educators, students, and community deserve leadership built on trust, transparency, and accountability," said SEA President John Corcoran in a prepared statement. "The actions and decisions of Dr. Lucero have raised serious concerns among our membership about the integrity of the district’s leadership and the negative impact on our students and educators."

The SEA, which represents over 1,5000 educators in the district, says it has "received repeated complaints regarding what they describe as retaliatory management practices, disregard for educator input, and a pattern of behavior that undermines collaborative decision-making."

"This is not a decision we take lightly. Educators across Stamford have shown extraordinary professionalism and dedication, especially in recent years," Corcoran added. "When that commitment is met with unethical leadership, it creates a toxic climate that harms both staff morale and student outcomes."

SPS pushed back against the filing.

"The so-called 'Formal Complaint' from Mr. Corcoran and the SEA targeting Dr. Lucero is nothing but a list of complaints, many of which are old news and all of which are without any basis in fact. The filing of this 'Complaint' and the accompanying press release is nothing more than a publicity stunt that brings discredit to the SEA," said SPS in an emailed statement to Patch.

"It's disappointing that during a summer in which state leaders are fighting to keep millions of dollars in federal funding to support critical programs for public school students, the SEA is wasting the time of the Commissioner and the Board of Education with these baseless accusations."

The complaint comes on the heels of a "no-confidence" vote against Lucero from staff at Roxbury Elementary School.

Lucero, who has been superintendent of SPS since April 2019, will not seek a contract extension and will leave the school district at the conclusion of her current deal, the school district announced last month.

Lucero has accepted an offer to serve as the director and head of school at a private, PreK-12 international school in Africa effective July 1, 2026.

Her current contract with SPS expires on June 30, 2026.