Park Slope Principal Cleared Of Organizing 'Communist Activities:' Report

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — The principal of a Park Slope school who was accused by the city of organizing "communist activities" has reportedly been cleared of major charges by the Department of Education.

Jill Bloomberg, the principal of Park Slope Collegiate, had sued the city saying she was part of a "chilling" and "McCarthyite" witch hunt for pointing out inherent segregation in the city's school system.

Park Slope Collegiate, with a majority black and Latino student body, is one of four schools inside the John Jay Educational Campus in mostly white Park Slope. Bloomberg said her students were unfairly singled out compared to the other majority white schools in the building.

When she started speaking out against this segregation, she said, including passing out critical fliers from the school's PTA on campus, the DOE said she was being investigated for "communist activities taking place at the school."

SEE MORE: Park Slope Principal Says She's The Target Of 'Chilling, McCarthyite' Commie Hunt

According to the New York Daily News, the department found those claims unsubstantiated. But they did ding Bloomberg for other, unrelated violations, the Daily News reported.

(Patch has reached out to DOE for confirmation, and we'll update this story if we hear back.)

"Based on the findings of a thorough investigation conducted by OSI, several of the allegation against Ms. Bloomberg were substantiated," Michael Aciman, a DOE spokesman, told the Daily News. "Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken."

The violations included failing to get permission for a documentary to be filmed at school and not getting proper authorization to substitute a history class for a mandated government class, according to the Daily News.

Bloomberg told the News the she feels vindicated by the findings and blasted the department for the other violations.

"The DOE has admitted that they initiated an investigation against me based on allegations from a completely unreliable source," Bloomberg said. "Nonetheless, while finding the allegations of Communist organizing to be patently false, they are still threatening disciplinary action based on minor bureaucratic complaints from the same discredited source.

"Any disciplinary action is simple retaliation for our defense of our students, their civil rights and our advocacy for integration."

Read the full Daily News story here.

Lead photo courtesy of Park Slope Collegiate