This case, based on actual events, was developed for a course in educational leadership or media management. Students will test their own processes for ethical leadership through this complex crisis in which a superintendent must decide whether to take public responsibility for questionable decisions made by his staff. This case highlights the media's ability to “spin the facts,” to reach a large number of stakeholders quickly, and to become a major player in a political agenda. Decisions made by the superintendent have potential long-range repercussions on his continued leadership of the school district and on the statewide school system.
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