Principal of PS 20 arrested for attacking teacher
 |
Sean Keaton, the controversial principal of PS 20 in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill neighborhood in Brooklyn, was arrested Thursday after allegedly knocking a kindergarten teacher off a chair, kicking him in the head, and stomping on him. The teacher, Robert Segerra, is the teachers’ union representative at PS 20, and, at the time of the assault, had been in Keaton’s office, discussing the case of a special education teacher who had been accused of using corporal punishment against a student.
“Every time I said I’m not hitting you, I got another hit in the head or another punch in the neck or another scrap or another drag me across the floor,” Segerra told WABC. (For Segerra’s full account of the incident, click here.)
Keaton was charged with misdemeanor assault and reassigned to administrative duties while the investigation is pending, according to the Department of Education.
Keaton has taught at the school since the 1990s and served as principal since 2005, but parents have been sharply divided over his leadership. While test scores have risen, enrollment has declined, and now only 27 percent of eligible kindergarten students in the zone are attending PS 20.
One of the three new citywide gifted and talented programs is scheduled to open as part of PS 20 next fall, which will be under the purview of the PS 20 principal. Parents whose students scored at the 97th percentile or higher on the gifted and talented exam were able to rank the PS 20 program on their forms, which were due on Tuesday. We are following up with the DOE to see if there will be an opportunity for parents to reconsider their choices after new leadership is announced.
The debate over Keaton’s administration turned particularly vehement on the New York Times Local Fort Greene/Clinton Hill blog this spring. Yesterday, the Local described the debate’s racial and class undertones: “The community conversation about him [Keaton] often seemed to break down along class lines, with new-to-the-neighborhood, more affluent parents finding him difficult to work with and working-class parents defending him. There was often a racial component to the debate as well (Mr. Keaton is black).”
The comments on the Insideschools profile of PS 20 reflect parents’ polarized opinions on Kean. Below are excerpts from several of the comments; go to our PS 20 review to read the full text.
“…the principal is a disaster. He is authoritarian, defensive, and almost incapable of taking input seriously. He has been hostile and even abusive to some parents (including the president of the PTA!), sent angry emails to parents who dared challenge his authority, and responded defensively to any suggestions that things might change. He has pitted parents against each other (he was heard complaining about the “nouveau riche” parents who have moved into the neighborhood and are “trying to take over the school”) and done nothing to defuse any tension among parents.” (May 19, 2008)
“…Although PS.20 has promise which is reflected in the enthusiastic teaching staff and great art and music programs, the principal is overzealous and runs the school with a totalitarian zeal,” writes a parent. “He is verbally abusive to the staff and has little respect for the children that attend the school. I have witnessed him verbally abusing children and aggressively pulling them into his office…”(June 6, 2008)
“…I saw comments on here about Mr Keaton, I have never had a negative experience with him. Although we haven’t always agreed, but he was always there to listen to my concerns. He is a strong principal very big on discipline & accountability which as a board of Education employee I can tell u is missing from many schoools. Keaton also made me feel as if he cared about not only my child but my family…” (Sept. 20, 2008)
Subscribe to 
I think the DOE should allow parents to either take 20 off for their list or add it. Personally I would add it now. It shouldn’t have come to this–the DOE should retain principals that reflect what the G&T parents want, but moreover what the zoned parents want. 27% zoned attendance is shameful, but look around the rest of District 13. Look at how many zoned kids go to 282. Keaton may be at fault here, but the DOE was asleep at the wheel. This would never fly in District 15.
Comment by Anonymous — May 22, 2009 @ 2:53 pm
I don’t agree with what the principal did. Some of these kids can be savages and 9 out of ten times the parents are worse.
Comment by Anonymous — May 22, 2009 @ 11:53 pm
I have lived in this community for fifty years, with three children attending PS20. this is all a result of the genrification people who feel they are entitled to do what ever they want and have no reguard for the people that live here, it’s much like the pilgrims coming to take the continent from the indigenous people. Mr keaton lost it after all of the assults.
Comment by Anonymous — May 23, 2009 @ 12:18 am
Mr. Keaton is a caring and loving person to the children and their families. Many of the families left the neighborhood but continued to commute to P.S. 20. There are more people satisfied with Mr. Keaton than not. I also know Mr. Segarra and he could’nt wait to be chapter leader so that he could bump heads with mr. keaton. Mr. Segarra is a hothead and has always been a hothead. He is confrontational and antagonistic towards Mr. Keaton. He has been this way in the main office and at the SLT meetings in front of parents staff and students. Mr. keaton on numerous ocassions ignored him. Mr. Segarra down grades Mr. Keaton and uses the meetings as a forum to express his issues with Mr. keaton. Mr. Keaton has made christmas possible for many families. He reached into his own pocket to provide for children and families.
Comment by anonymous — May 24, 2009 @ 1:13 am
It would be good to hear the situation view from the side of Mr. Keaton as well, since he has not been interviewed since his arrest. I have many neighbors that do like the classes and don’t mind him that much. He has a bit of an ego and sometimes unrealistic expectations. Whatever happens, I hope the school can now blossom into what it should be.
Comment by blues clues — May 24, 2009 @ 9:44 am
UFT reps tend to be upstarts. The media has undoubtedly exxagerated this story. So I commend Mr. Keaton for shaking some sense into that teacher/UFT rep. After all, you can’t always handle matters sitting down.
Comment by Go Diego Go! — May 25, 2009 @ 4:43 am
KK at 2:07, your post was removed because of profanity, which we won’t publish on the site. Please write us in words we can publish and we’ll be glad to post your comments.
Comment by helen — May 29, 2009 @ 2:51 pm