An English teacher at Information Technology High School in Queens has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that school administrators changed a student's failing grade to a passing one and then retaliated against her for exposing the practice. The suit, filed in Brooklyn federal court by teacher Susan Muzafar, claims the incident is an example of a broader pattern of pressure on educators to pass students who have not met academic requirements.
Muzafar alleges that she assigned a failing grade to an unnamed student, identified in the suit as "M.H.," due to consistently incomplete assignments and low assessment scores. However, according to the lawsuit, an administrator later altered the grade to passing without Muzafar's knowledge or consent. The suit contends this action was part of a practice at the school of enrolling unqualified students in advanced placement classes and assigning them unearned passing grades.
Following her inquiries about the altered grade, Muzafar claims she faced retaliation from school leadership. Principal Jean Woods Powell allegedly issued poor evaluations and restricted Muzafar's opportunities for additional pay through per-session assignments. The lawsuit states that the Special Commissioner of School Investigation informed Muzafar that it had opened an investigation into her allegations of grade fixing.
Muzafar's suit further details that after she filed complaints internally and with external entities like the College Board, her AP English class was observed by Principal Woods. The subsequent observation report assigned her "developing" or poor ratings, which Muzafar challenged as retaliatory through a union complaint. The lawsuit also alleges that a school social worker with close ties to the administration filed a complaint against Muzafar, and that the principal falsely claimed Muzafar was curving grades, leading to a panic attack.
According to the suit, data from the school's gradebook system, Jupiter, indicated that administrators and other employees had accessed Muzafar's gradebook for students over 40 times without her knowledge. Muzafar is seeking unspecified damages, asserting violations of her First Amendment free speech rights and state civil service law. A spokesperson for the city Department of Education stated that they cannot comment on litigation or confidential investigations.
Previous reports have highlighted numerous allegations of grade fixing and cheating scandals in New York City high schools over the past decade. While city schools are permitted to offer make-up work and credit recovery programs to help students graduate, teachers have voiced concerns that these programs are academically lenient and used to pass students who have not met the necessary requirements or attended classes regularly. State law prohibits attendance from being used as a grading factor, and the United Federation of Teachers contract stipulates that a principal must notify a teacher in writing if they change a student's grade.