Q: The principal at my school is widely believed to have a drinking problem. I know of at least two people who have told her supervisor that she drinks on the job (and is a belligerent drunk to boot). Nevertheless, no one ever addresses the situation, and she returns to lead the school year after year. Every year, she returns even more short-tempered, disorganized, and inappropriate than before. She literally doesn’t hide the fact that she drinks at work; she even jokes about it! I figure she must have protection in high places.
Earlier this year, she was next-level inappropriate. During a private meeting in her office, she offered me alcohol. At another meeting a few weeks later, she offered me a drink again! The first time, I politely said “no thanks,” and she drank without me. The second time I declined, she got really snippy. She told me she can see why everyone thinks I’m a “stick in the mud” and why no one likes me.
After the meeting, I filed a complaint with her supervisor, who sent me a bland, dismissive, “thanks for writing” type of email. Now, several months later, not a thing has changed. I know I can only do so much, but her behavior is wildly unacceptable. Either she takes medical leave and gets help, or she should be fired, right?! Is there anything else I can do? Or am I wasting my time, given that someone is clearly protecting her?
A: To state the obvious, no principal should be drinking alcohol during school hours or pressuring subordinates to drink with them. I don’t blame you for feeling frustrated by your district’s non-response. You may be right that someone is protecting her, but there are other possibilities, too. The supervisor could be ineffectual, or they also could be hitting a dead end when they report the issue to their supervisor. All you know is that nothing has changed despite multiple complaints, and your principal’s behavior continues to negatively impact her performance and professional relationships.
There’s no way to control the outcome, so do what you need to do to feel empowered and preserve your own integrity.
At this point, you have several options. As a first step, you might want to seek counsel from a union representative or colleague you trust who is familiar with proper reporting protocols. For instance, they may suggest you speak to other supervisors who are likely to be more responsive to your concerns. Alternatively, you could reach out to a relevant professional ethics board or regulatory agency or seek legal counsel.
You may get farther if you join forces with colleagues who share your concerns. You can collectively document and report any instances of unethical, inappropriate, or unsafe behavior. There’s power in numbers. You may find that your colleagues are able to share helpful context, too. Someone may be aware, for instance, that parents also have been expressing concern about the principal’s behavior.
There’s no way to control the outcome, so do what you need to do to feel empowered and preserve your own integrity. And if you exhaust all the options and still hit a brick wall — or if your work environment becomes so tense and uncomfortable it compromises your emotional well-being — remember that you can always look for another job.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phyllis L. Fagell
Phyllis L. Fagell is the school counselor at Landon School in Washington, D.C., a therapist at the Chrysalis Group in Bethesda, Md., and the author of the Career Confidential blog. She is also the author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers, available at https://amzn.to/3Pw0pcu.
