Wednesday, December 21, 2005

ELIZABETH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- An elementary school principal resigned after parents denounced her for parading an 8-year-old girl from class to class after a classmate falsely accused her of stealing $5.Marlene Whitby, principal at William Penn Elementary School in the Pittsburgh suburb of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, submitted her resignation Wednesday, and the district's school board accepted it unanimously.Whitby and the school's administration came under fire this month when the parents of third-grader Katie White protested that Whitby had not been punished for the September incident.After the classmate accused the girl of stealing the $5, Whitby took her from room to room, calling her a liar and thief. The other child later recanted the story.The girl's father, Ryan White, said that when he spoke to Whitby she acknowledged that she didn't look at a school bus video or talk to the bus driver to verify the theft accusation.He said Superintendent Paul Mueller and Whitby agreed that the principal would publicly apologize, but parents said the apology wasn't clearly worded and their children didn't understand what Whitby was saying. Whitby was also suspended for three days with pay.Whitby earlier declined to comment. No telephone listings in her name could be found this week.Police had to be called to Wednesday's board meeting because some in the crowd of about 70 people became upset when board President Lowell Meek said there would be no public comment on a personnel and discipline matter.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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