Breaking: Dixon School Board Dismisses Principal John Barsotti

It was only a year ago that John Barsotti became the new principal for Dixon High School. Today, the Dixon Unified School District announced that they have dismissed him as principal of the high school.

In a statement issued today, the district wrote:"As Mr. Barsotti was a first-year probationary employee, the Governing Board had the authority to determine whether or not it wished to have him continue into a second year of service. The action by the Board means that Mr. Barsotti will officially end his employment with Dixon Unified as of June 30, 2012."

"I would like to thank Mr. Barsotti for the hard work he put into his position this year and wish him well in his future endeavors. The Board does not take these kind of decisions lightly with regard to any of our employees and will sometimes be divided on them," wrote Superintendent Brian Dolan. "In this case, the Board's unanimous vote speaks strongly to its desire to see change at Dixon High. Moving forward, the Board is committed to filling the principal position with a qualified individual as soon as possible."

The school board will meet in a special, closed-session meeting on Monday, June 25, at 7 p.m., at the Dixon High Theater to begin consideration of a replacement for Barsotti. Dolan is expected to agendize the matter for future discussion and eventually have an appointment made by the board.

Barsotti's time at Dixon High School was highlighted by several controversies. Most notably, the decision to ban 35 student leaders from their Junior Prom in a fiasco called Promgate.

Another controversy arose earlier in the year when Barsotti chose to dismiss a winning coach, , from the JV Football season without much of an explanation.

Although Barsotti apologized to the students for his actions at Promgate, many say that it wasn't enough. One parent, Melody Williams, filed a lawsuit against Barsotti and the District seeking damages of $7,000 they say were generated because of Barsotti's decision.

We will update this story as soon as we can. Stay with Patch for the most up-to-the-minute updates.

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