You are reading

Forest Hills High School Principal Under Investigation After No-Confidence Vote, Further Accusations

Forest Hills High School (Google Maps)

March 4, 2019 By Meghan Sackman

Forest Hills High School’s principal, who has been under the spotlight recently after reports of his alleged lax attitude toward student drug use, is now under investigation by the Department of Education after teachers at the school recently took a no-confidence vote and accused him of further inappropriate behavior.

FHHS faculty overwhelmingly decided in a Feb. 14 vote that Ben Sherman, at the school since 2017, was not suited to be the school’s leader, and presented a list of concerns about his behavior to Queens high school superintendent Juan Mendez last week, according to the New York Post. Faculty also asked Mendez to remove Sherman from his post.

The DOE confirmed to the Forest Hills Post that the allegations in the letter have been referred for investigation.

Among faculty concerns presented after the vote, in addition to letting student pot smoking slide, include allegations of Sherman leaving his bathroom door open so his secretaries could see him urinating; unicycling and juggling in the school’s crowded hallways; and making a slew of inappropriate comments toward teachers and students, the Post reported on Saturday.

Sherman, in response to being asked to shut the bathroom door, allegedly replied, “Did they not like what they saw?”, according to the Post.

He is also accused of telling two female students wearing large earrings: “The bigger the hoop, the bigger the ho!”

One teacher also accused him of saying, “Hubba, hubba, I like what I see through the holes of that sweater,” according to the list.

The teachers believe that Sherman’s alleged antics and leadership approach are leading the school astray, and have meant an increase in vandalism, larcenies and drug use on site.

“The Chancellor takes these concerns seriously, and has created clear lines of accountability to ensure schools have the support they need,” said Doug Cohen, a DOE spokesperson.

The agency has placed Sean Davenport, Thurgood Marshall Academy Principal, as supervising superintendent of FHHS—directly overseeing principal Sherman and the school’s operations. He will also report to the DOE’s executive superintendent.

The new investigation comes after widespread outcry over the alleged state of the school under Sherman, first revealed by the Post, which also prompted Council Member Karen Koslowitz to call on the DOE to intervene.

“With the necessary corrections in place, FHHS will continue to enjoy the excellent reputation that it has deservedly maintained through the years,” Koslowitz said late last week.

email the author: [email protected]

5 Comments

Click for Comments 
Butter weeda and 9 trey

Nothing will be done. Period rubber room collecting his 178k a yr salary surfing the net playing with his ipad and enjoying liquid lunches. Best city job u can have. 8uck up and bad behavior will be rewarded. Nice vacation for a few yrs . Then a new assignment or even covet a promotion

Reply
Antoinette delutro

So happy hes being taken down for his behavior. There are alot more like him abusing there power out there.

Reply
Off the rails principal

“The bigger the hoop, the bigger the ho” Never heard that before.

19
3
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

LaGuardia’s new Terminal B wins major awards from two leading environmental organizations

Jun. 2, 2023 By Bill Parry

Not only is the finished product aesthetically pleasing to the eye that presents a vast improvement for traveler experience, the new $4 billion Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport is also a model of sustainability for such large-scale construction projects in the future. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the developer and manager of Terminal B, on June 2 announced that the completed project has won prestigious awards from two leading international environmental institutions.

New York Hall of Science awarded federal funding for project on artificial intelligence

New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) will play a key role in the future of artificial and natural intelligence after U.S. Rep. Grace Meng announced that the institution in Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been awarded nearly a half-million dollars in federal funding from the National Science Foundation over the next five years.

NYSCI will be part of a $20 million initiative led by Columbia University to establish an AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI), an interdisciplinary center that will bring together several top research institutions to focus on a national priority: connecting the major progress made in AI systems to the revolution in understanding the brain.