Ex-Edison administrator terminated after dispute over racial slur now leads Indianapolis charter school

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An Indianapolis school administrator who was terminated over allegations that he used a racial slur when speaking to a student has started a new role leading another school.

Nathan Tuttle, who was previously executive director and CEO at Edison School of the Arts, started as the K-8 principal of Matchbook Learning on June 1. Like Edison, Matchbook belongs to the Indianapolis Public Schools’ Innovation Network, which gives its schools more autonomy in hiring and operational decisions than district-managed schools.

Tuttle served as the Edison executive director from 2016 to March of last year, when he was terminated by the Edison board following a public meeting. Unlike Matchbook Learning and many other Innovation Network schools, Edison is not a charter school, but is governed by a nonprofit and its own school board.

During the meeting, parents and staff claimed Tuttle used a racial slur in front of Black students, a claim that Tuttle countered by saying that he had only repeated the slur while disciplining a student who first said it.

After his termination, Tuttle brought a lawsuit in federal court against Edison, IPS, and individual teachers and administrators, citing a “coordinated campaign of defamation, distortion, and malice” directed at him.

“During a protest organized and sanctioned by certain Edison administration, teachers, and staff members, students chanted homophobic slurs and other insults aimed at Tuttle,” the lawsuit says. “And on March 7, 2023, the Board conducted a special meeting and allowed several participants to publicly defame and insult Tuttle.”

Though the lawsuit is proceeding, IPS was dismissed from the suit on June 5 through an agreement between Tuttle and the district. Tuttle is seeking lost wages, compensatory damages for mental anguish, and attorney’s fees and costs. The case is scheduled for a settlement conference in October.

Tuttle declined to comment on why the district was dismissed from the suit. He said he was excited to be working with Matchbook, and that the school has supported him.

“We ask for feedback all the time and the feedback from PD sessions and touring the school and talking with community members has been positive, with people excited about the change in leadership,” Tuttle said during a phone interview with Chalkbeat.

Matchbook founder Sajan George said he had no reservations about hiring Tuttle following dozens of hours of one-on-one meetings with him. He said he also sought input from others knowledgeable about the situation at Edison, including James Hill, another former Edison administrator. Hill is now the principal of the charter network’s new high school, The Match, and has been with the network for more than a year, George said.

In a statement, Hill said Edison students showed academic growth under Tuttle’s leadership.

“Now that he has joined Matchbook Learning, he is already starting to make a difference with the students, and our parents have responded favorably to his leadership thus far,” Hill said.

George further said that Matchbook parents have had the opportunity to meet with Tuttle, both in small groups by invitation and in an open forum.

“Everyone’s happy with the selection,” George said.

George said IPS was aware of the hiring and did not raise any concerns after the district was dismissed from the lawsuit.

In a statement, the district said it does not “directly hire staff nor control the hiring processes for the Innovation Charter schools that are part of the IPS Innovation Network.”

“Matchbook Learning’s personnel policies, hiring decisions, and operational procedures are separate from those of IPS. As an Innovation School operator, Matchbook Learning maintains autonomy over its staffing and employment practices while working in partnership with IPS to serve students within the district’s portfolio of schools,” IPS said in the statement.

In April, Matchbook submitted a letter seeking a renewal of its charter to its authorizer, the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation. George said the school intends to continue its innovation agreement with IPS.

The education innovation office said in a statement that “personnel decisions are managed by the school’s leaders and board of directors,” and that the school made the office aware of Tuttle’s hiring before this school year.

The Edison School of the Arts board named Michelle Brittain-Watts CEO and Executive Director in December 2023.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.