SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- On Wednesday, the South Bend Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) sent a letter to the South Bend Community School Corporation School Board regarding their potential decision to tap Mansour Eid as interim superintendent as the board and current superintendent Todd Cummings plan to part ways. 

The NAACP cites multiple complaints of abusive behavior towards black students that were allegedly ignored during his time as Principal of Clay High School, including a claim that a member of his staff threatened to shoot and kill four black students.

Dear Board of School Trustees:

The mission of the NAACP is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.

It has been brought to our attention that there is a strong possibility you, (the School Board), is going to hire Mansour Eid as the Interim Superintendent. During Mr. Eid's tenure as principal at Clay High School, the NAACP has received numerous complaints about abusive behavior toward Black students that was reported but overlooked and covered up by Mr. Eid. The NAACP has documentation where Mr. Eid's assistant principal, Mr. Robert Smith, threaten to shoot and kill four black students he had in his office.

Mr. Eid was aware of the threats, however, he opted to cover up the threats made by his assistant principal. The NAACP also received a complaint from a parent indicating discriminatory behavior and abuse perpetuated by Clay High School Administration against her three children. The parent indicated that:

Student #1 that had an IEP was expelled from school when he was a freshman because they found marijuana on him. He served his consequence in JJC. After having completed his probation, the student tried enrolling back in school, however, Rise Up Academy and Clay High School refused to enroll him. He was out of school for a year and a half despite several attempts to enroll him.

Student #2 was an honor student that was denied due process. This student was accused of battery of another student but had a video to prove her innocence. This student missed a month of instruction and her mom was denied access to pick up her missed assignments. Needless to say, the student was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Corporation, however, she had fallen behind on her grades, lost credits and her GPA had failed dramatically.

Student #3 was made to ride a special education bus without parental consent. The student routinely rode the same bus with his sibling. Without a case conference and without parental consent or knowledge, the assistant principal took it upon himself to contact transportation and had the student switched to a special education bus. Again, Mr. Eid was aware of this situation.

It was during this time our office received information and complaints from teachers that Mr. Eid was aware of some students who had IEP's were either invited or were given extended days home, if they had been suspended, and it was not recorded properly on Power School, because there is a five-day limit on how long a student can be out of school for a suspension.

This type of behavior is just a sample of the concerns the NAACP has as it relates to the disproportionate suspension and expulsion of Black students.

Based on these and other complaints to the NAACP, we do not believe that Mr. Eid has the interest of Black students at heart We would consider his placement as interim superintendent to be detrimental to Black students, and to the Corporation as a whole.

In closing. I am encouraging each of you to adopt the mission of the NAACP and choose another candidate to become interim superintendent.

Sincerely,
Trina D. Robinson, President