UPDATE: FCPS gives update on Dunbar high school principal placed on leave in November
UPDATE: (01/10/2023)
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Principal, Marlon Ball, was placed on administrative leave in November following the death of the school’s athletic director, Jason Howell.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, that leave was extended on December 8th for an additional 20 days.
ABC 36 reached out to Fayette County Public Schools for an update on Ball’s suspension.
We received the following statement.
“There has been no resolution to this ongoing investigation and we do not comment on personnel matters.”
Howell’s death was ruled a suicide.
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) (11/03/2022) – Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Principal Marlon Ball has been placed on administrative leave by Fayette County Public Schools. This year was Ball’s first as Dunbar’s principal, previously coming from a high school in Jacksonville, Florida.
FCPS has released a statement regarding Principal Ball being placed on administrative leave. It reads:
“Our FCPS community is grieving Mr. Howell’s passing along with the staff, students, and families at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. When one of our schools is hurting, the impact is felt districtwide.
We are aware of the concerns raised by members of the Dunbar staff. Reports of this nature are taken seriously and will be fully investigated. Per our normal human resources procedures, Dunbar Principal Marlon Ball has been placed on administrative leave. As with any personnel matter, we are unable to comment further.”
Ball’s leave comes one day after the unexpected death of the school’s athletic director, Jason Howell. The Fayette County coroner has ruled Howell’s death a suicide. The Dunbar Bulldog family is reeling after his death.
“Teachers, it really is like family and Jason was certainly a part of that,” says social studies teacher Mickey Campbell. “It’s been difficult, there’s been a lot of tears.”
Before becoming athletic director, Howell was a social studies teacher at Dunbar. Many who taught alongside him are heartbroken by the news.
“Jason was a funny guy. He was the first person I ever heard come up with the phrase ‘it is what it is’ and that really sort of summed up Mr. Howell,” says Campbell.
Howell’s friends and colleagues say he was 110% dedicated to the school. Once named athletic director, Howell started the “We are Dunbar” program where faculty could buy shirts with the phrase and the money was given to the school social worker to help pay for winter coats and thanksgiving baskets for students.
Another fellow social studies teacher Michelle Peck Williams wrote a statement reading:
“Jason Howell was a GREAT athletic director. He was 110% dedicated to Dunbar. He built our athletics program by selecting talented, hard-working coaches and supporting the kids. Just this week our soccer team won the state championship, and our volleyball team is headed to the state tournament tomorrow. I don’t even know how many students he helped get scholarships for college. Everybody talks about how sports help students connect to school and gain self-esteem. Jason Howell actually made that happen. His impact on our school and in the lives of those kids will be felt for many years to come.”
Some teachers say this has been a reminder of the importance of checking in on your friends.
“We do need to check in on each other and we do need to look out for each other and offer a kind word and a helping hand,” says Campbell. “There’s so many people here at Dunbar that are willing to do that, we’re very fortunate to have this community.”
Funeral arrangements for Howell are set for next week. A visitation in Lexington will be November 8th from 5-8 P.M. at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home on Harrodsburg Road. A visitation in his hometown of Pikeville, KY will be held November 12th from 5-8 P.M. at JW Call Funeral Home with a private interment to follow.
