Grosse Pointe Schools Find 2 Employees Violated Technology Use Policies

Discussion swept through the Grosse Pointes late Friday regarding the possible firing of Grosse Pointe South Principal Allan Diver, alleging that he's been fired from the district related to inappropriate use of his school computer. 

Sources within the school said Diver was let go Friday, but school officials didn't confirm it when asked about Diver specifically late Friday night.

District spokeswoman Rebecca Fannon, did, however, release a statement to Patch late Friday, stating that two employees were found in a recent investigation to have violated terms of the district's technology policies. The release did not name the employees.

The statement said:

"In the course of a recent investigation, the district discovered two staff members had committed serious violations of our Technology Acceptable Use policy. No students were involved in any way in these actions. That policy is posted online and all students and staff members have given an agreement to abide by those standards. The district expects all staff members to lead by example and provide our students a safe and secure learning environment. We have worked diligently to resolve this matter and must move forward with a course of action that is in the best interest of our students."

Diver has been at the school since 2001, and school board members discussed briefly during their last meeting about the renewal of his contract. His contract renewal should have been on agenda for the board's next meeting, which is Monday May 23, for their official approval. According to the agenda released Friday, it was not. There was tension among the board members during this discussion as Diver is a contracted employee of the district rather than a direct employee. 

According to minutes from the board's April 27 work session, a closed session was held to consider charges against a district employee. The session lasted more than an hour and was closed at the request of the employee, who is not identified in the minutes. 

Diver was named Principal of the Year in 2008 as part of Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. According to Diver's own bio posted on the school's website, he began his education career in Blissfield, MI, where he worked for 20 years both as an educator and coach before moving to the metro area in 1992. 

He worked as the principal at Chippewa Valley High School and then spent five years at Dakota High School, helping open school as the district split their high school population into two schools. In 2001, he began as principal of Grosse Pointe South.