‘Rent’ figures both gone

Corona del Mar High School can’t seem to shake the specter of “Rent.”

In the real-life drama behind the school’s production of the controversial — and wildly successful — Broadway musical, one of its central characters has accepted a new job.

The other has been placed on administrative leave.

Former Principal Fal Asrani was appointed last week as a high school administrator for program improvement at the Antioch Unified School District in the Bay Area, just two months after she reportedly accepted a contract to work as assistant superintendent of a group of struggling schools in Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, her foil, drama teacher Ron Martin — who directed Corona del Mar High’s production of “Rent,” which Asrani had initially tried to cancel — was placed on administrative leave, according to his Facebook page.

Laura Boss, spokesperson for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, confirmed Wednesday that Martin was put on leave, saying it was a “personnel matter,” but had no further comment at this time.

Martin claims that he was put on leave following rumors that he boasted about getting “a certain staff member fired.”

Curious chain of events

Asrani has said repeatedly that her resignation never was related to the “Rent” controversy.

She was appointed to the Antioch district at its Oct. 14 meeting, the Contra Costa Times reported.

Asrani is believed to have signed a written contract to begin working this August as an assistant superintendent with the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, which was formed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to improve 10 of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s most at-risk high schools.

An assistant superintendent position is the traditional next step up for a school administrator.

In the 2008-09 school year, Asrani’s salary was $146,557, including stipends and longevity pay raises. In addition, Asrani was paid $3,250 in mileage reimbursements and $600 in communication reimbursements, Boss said.

“She had been looking for an assistant superintendent position, but there was no hidden agenda behind that,” Boss said. “She had made it clear last year, before all the controversy started.”

But it appears the contract was canceled; no reason has been given yet by the Partnership.

Antioch Unified is in the East Bay area near the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Asrani apparently received the appointment just two months after her contract would have begun at the Partnership.

Asrani made her Los Angeles appointment public at the time she resigned from Newport-Mesa Unified.

“I have been offered a significant opportunity to head a district as assistant superintendent of instruction, and I am at that point in my life when this kind of a challenge is too much to pass up,” Fasrani told the school community in a farewell e-mail earlier this year.

“This position will allow me to work with principals and teacher leaders in addressing the achievement gap and most importantly to implement programs and strategies for students who have very few incentives to succeed.”

“She was very excited about it, and we were very happy for her,” Boss said.

Asrani also had finished earning her doctorate at USC and has been writing her dissertation, Boss said.

Martin and others characterized Asrani as homophobic, claiming she tried to pull the musical because of its homosexual and sensual content; she stridently has denied the claims. Asrani was known as a disciplinarian focused on improving test scores and lengthening hem lines at Corona del Mar High.

“I was really surprised when the whole ‘Rent’ controversy came up, because our school is known for being very inclusive and accepting and welcoming to all students, and Fal was very supportive of all of the programs that we put on. She encouraged us,” Denise Weiland, the school’s coordinator of community service and human relations programs, told the Daily Pilot at the time of Asrani’s resignation.

Theater teacher cries foul

Rumors have been flying on and off campus since Martin was put on leave.

“Today I was placed on administrative leave because it is alleged that I stated that I got a certain person fired,” Martin said Tuesday in a Facebook status update.

“It is interesting that the week after we form the first GSA [Gay-Straight Alliance] on the campus I am put on leave. It is also interesting that the district kept using the word alleged, referring to the former principal’s statement about not canceling Rent, and she was never placed on leave. Don’t let ignorance prevail.”

“I feel that this can be nothing but retaliation,” said parent Karyl Ketchum, adding that the student alliance was set to have its first meeting this week, but will not be able to if Martin, their student advisor, is not present.

Karyl Ketchum is the mother of Hail Ketchum, who played an HIV-infected exotic dancer in the final, administration-approved version of “Rent.”

Hail Ketchum was threatened with rape and murder in an invective-laced online video by a group of Corona del Mar student athletes. None of the athletes was expelled for making the video, which was filled with anti-gay and misogynistic slurs and posted on Facebook, despite the district’s zero-tolerance policy on bullying. The video was posted on Facebook for hundreds of people to see.

A lawsuit by Hail Ketchum and the ACLU followed, in which Asrani and other district officials were sued for “permitting and sanctioning an atmosphere that is hostile to female, lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender students in general, and has led to despicable threats of violence against one student in particular.”

The suit was settled out of court.

Karyl Ketchum said her daughter lived in terror following the incident, electing to study at home rather than attend classes, in fear of running into her alleged tormenters.

“The school would not keep Hail safe,” Karyl Ketchum said. “Ron Martin committed himself to keeping her safe. She made it through because she had a friend in him, and so many other kids have said this to our family.”

Karyl Ketchum said she was happy to hear that Asrani would not be working with at-risk students in Los Angeles. She feels that Asrani is better with numbers than with children.

Martin said on Facebook that he has the full backing of his teacher’s union, and is fighting what he believes are unfounded allegations.

School Drama Club President Heather Shields pleaded on the “Save Rent” Facebook group page for a cessation of action until more is known.

“Mr. Martin is an integral part of our department and has done so much for all of us, and we current CdM drama students want to do all we can to support him, but we don’t want to get ourselves in the mix until we fully know what is going on and have the final verdict. It’s just we don’t want a controversy if there is no controversy (like if Mr. Martin comes back next Monday),” she wrote.

Martin, as well as representatives at Antioch Unified and the Partnership, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.