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Contract of Lexington high school principal put on paid leave will not be renewed

Dunbar High School Principal Marlon Ball was put on paid administrative leave last November. He filed a lawsuit against the school district in February and just learned his contract will not be renewed.
Fayette County Public District
Dunbar High School Principal Marlon Ball was put on paid administrative leave last November. He filed a lawsuit against the school district in February and just learned his contract will not be renewed.

The Fayette County School District will not be renewing the contract of a high school principal put on paid administrative leave early last November. Marlon Ball has filed a lawsuit against the district and district officials. Melissa Rife is a member of Dunbar High School’s site-based decision-making council. She said she can’t say whether she supports the decision because she doesn’t know all the facts.

“I feel like it would make more sense to complete the investigation, notify everyone of the results, offer transparency, and then make the decision based on the investigation that, that they've said, you know, is ongoing.”

A spokeswoman for the school district says they cannot comment on the case. Ball was placed on paid leave the day after the school’s longtime athletic director committed suicide. The suit against the district alleges the school district’s public comments unfairly linked the two events. Rife reiterated that nearly everyone seems to be in the dark.

“The most important thing is I feel like some transparency would be greatly appreciated, of course by the council, but I think every parent deserves to have, you know, the final result, we deserve the results of the investigation.”

Rife said students deserve to know more, also.

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John McGary is a Lexington native and Navy veteran with three decades of radio, television and newspaper experience.
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