Updated 10:30 pm Alamogordo Public Schools Dr Moore Suspended Pamela Renteria Appointed Acting Interim Superintendent

The Alamogordo Public School Board met in executive session this Sunday 2-12-22 to consider the ramifications of a lawsuit filed against Superintendent Dr. Moore, the School Board and Alamogordo Public Schools by Lorrie Black and the Flickinger Center for the Performing Arts. 

After executive session with legal counsel the Alamogordo Public Schools met in public session and voted unanimously to placed Dr. Moore on paid administrative leave.

Why paid administrative leave? Most school district policies provide that: “A term (or probationary) contract employee may be suspended with pay or placed on administrative leave by the school board or leadership during an investigation of alleged misconduct by the employee or at any time the board determines that the district’s best interest will be served by the suspension or administrative leave.” Another words to allow the legal parties to review the case and contracts to ensure there is cause of action. Once cause is determined of a breach of contract then the action could escalate to no further pay or a termination depending upon the terms of the employment contract. 

A second motion was made and passed unanimously to appoint Pamela Renteria as acting interim Alamogordo Public Schools Superintendent effectively immediately.

Dr. Moore during this last week had been enveloped in controversy as a lawsuit details broke in a news story that broke from AlamogordoTownNews.com and KALH Radio on Thursday and Friday. AlamogordoTownNews.com and 95.1 KALHRadio.org  were the first news sources to break the story of the lawsuit and pending special session plus publish details of the lawsuit. 

In a news story from AlamogordoTownNews.com dated 2-10-23 details emerged and a copy of the lawsuit was released to the public.

“More details have emerged on the lawsuit filed by Lorrie Black and the Flickinger Center against the Alamogordo Public Schools and Dr Kenneth Moore. The case is seeking relief for an alleged violation of the right to exercise free speech, a violation of due process and equal protection, a violation of the access to public records act, unlawful retaliation from a public records request, defamation of the character of Lorrie Black by Dr. Moore.”

A link is included in the article of the complete 34-page complaint.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hs69JUvMV3SZeDleE2YkOVshC38GoJ8P/view?usp=sharing”

Further controversy and a public outcry emerged when a video surfaced of Dr. Moore speaking down about racism in Otero County and playing to an audience with comments not becoming of an official in his position. The comments and the released video brought huge public outrage when posted on social media.

Mayor Susan Payne commented to KALHRadio.org AlamogordoTownNews.com’s radio personality Anthony Lucero, “it was disheartening to hear the comments (from the video) by Superintendent Moore about our amazing community. I will unequivocally deny we are a racist community. Unfortunately you are going to have particular people in a community that may say inappropriate things but I think overall we absolutely are not a racist community and I was disappointed to hear what he had to say.”

KALHRadio.org’s radio personality Anthony Lucero on behalf of AlamogordoTownNews.com was able to catch up with Lorrie Black for comment: “I think he is a very unethical man, and I think he has low integrity. I am very happy he is on admin leave and I can’t wait for the day they fire him.” 

Lucero asked Lorrie Black about the litigation she and the Flickinger Center has against Alamogordo Public Schools and her response was “that it will continue because the events happened and though Ken was leading the charge they allowed him to do that, the board, so they are still accountable for his actions, and he is still accountable for his actions and the things he has done, and things he has said about me and the Flickinger didn’t go away with this admin leave, so we will continue the fight.”

To hear the complete interview and story via Anthony Lucero on behalf of Alamogordo Town News visit KALHRadio.org 

KALHRadio.org’s Alamogordo Town News via 95.1 FM with Anthony Lucero will have the second part of the interview with Lorrie Black concerning the lawsuit on Tuesday with excerpts reported also online at AlamogordoTownNews.com 

The Sunday public School Board Meeting was attended by a standing room audience of concerned citizens. The school board courageously took the stance of suspension and is closely following the required legal protocols as per the advise of legal counsel from the closed door executive session.

The board appointed acting interim superintendent is Pamela Renteria. Mrs. Renteria is well respected in the local community having served a variety of Administrative roles as principal and including most recently as Deputy Superintendent Teaching & Learning. The appointment is a safe respected and non-controversial appointment sure to calm the public given her 3 decades of community service. 

The official APS press release is below…

More News from Alamogordo

• Village of Cloudcroft Seeks Applications for a Clerk Adminstrator Cloudcroft seeking applicstions for a clerk
• Alamogordo High School Wrestling Team Boys defeated Mayfield Wrestling results verses Mayfield...