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Pasarow Takes a Leave of Absence

News

chool community received an email from Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) Assistant Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi on Monday, December 5, informing them that BHS Principal Sam Pasarow would embark upon an indefinite leave of absence starting Tuesday, December 6. In his absence, BHS Executive Vice Principal Erin Schweng will assume the role of lead administrator.

Currently, out of respect for Pasarow’s privacy, information on the cause of  Pasarow’s leave is strictly confidential.

In Scuderi’s email to the community, he acknowledged that “the minimal detail included in this communication may be concerning for some, yet we are obliged to respect confidentiality whenever private or personal matters arise.”

Until the administration receives new information deemed relevant to the community, Schweng stated that maintaining day to day activities and keeping the school running smoothly is the priority for the administration. Mira Gottlieb, a BHS sophomore said, “I don’t necessarily think that the student body has a right to know what’s going on. It really depends on why he’s on leave. If there were students or anyone else involved, it is important that their information stay confidential.”

Schweng stated that her personal goal and the goal of the administration during Pasarow’s leave is to minimize the change of the day to day experiences of BHS students and teachers. Schweng also stated that her team is working to ensure that everything that Pasarow was directly responsible for overseeing is attended to.

Gottlieb said, “I have heard a lot of speculation regarding his leave on campus. I’ve even discussed it in two of my classes. Lots of people have different theories and ideas about why he’s gone … other than that, everyone seemed to act as they do every other day.”

Pasarow was appointed to the position of BHS Principal in April of 2015, following his role as principal at Edna Brewer in Oakland.

Schweng addressed Pasarow’s time at BHS: “Mr. Pasarow has been an active voice in support of the continuing Professional Development efforts.” She continued, “[He] came to this community with great enthusiasm for working to improve our school culture and climate, and his positive shout-outs and obvious pride in our students’ political voice and activism are a testament to that.”

Tom Ferris, a BHS parent who worked at Edna Brewer with Pasarow from 2008 to 2010 said, “My impression of [Pasarow] was that he was a very good administrator who was very concerned about school safety and the welfare of the students.”

Scuderi is unsure if and when the BHS community will be made aware of further details regarding Pasarow’s leave of absence, and stated that he is unable to speculate for the time being.