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Church demands principal leave

The landlord for Community Christian School wants Dick Baker to resign or be fired today after reports that brought the church unwanted publicity.

LARGO - A small Christian school has been told to fire its principal by noon today or risk losing its home.

The school's landlord, Westside Church of the Nazarene, is upset that school principal Dick Baker has taken dozens of Disney trips with middle school girls he calls the "Royal Princesses."

Baker has been put on a 60-day paid leave from Community Christian School while its school board investigates the trips. The school had hoped the leave would appease the church.

But the church board voted late Wednesday to accept nothing short of Baker's resignation or firing.

"His presence on our property creates a potential liability and damages our reputation as a morally safe, scripturally sound place for kids to come," said Jay Verona, attorney for Westside Church of the Nazarene on Walsingham Road.

Church officials say Baker's conduct violates the school's own sexual harassment policy and has brought the church unwanted controversy and publicity. By not acting sooner, they say, Baker and the school have violated the "spirit of Christ-like cooperation and mutual concern" required in their lease.

The school's attorney is unavailable for comment until Monday, his secretary said.

The Disney trips prompted a police investigation in May that led to no charges. But more than two dozen parents and several teachers called for Baker's resignation after the St. Petersburg Times wrote about the trips last week.

Baker was fired from his part-time position as music minister at Azalea Baptist Church after the first story, pastor David Downey said.

"It's an issue of judgment and appearances that for us is not acceptable for a minister," Downey said.

A letter sent to the school this week from Westside Church of the Nazarene cited a number of details from the police investigation and said the board seems "blinded."

Baker told police he took trips to Disney about every other week. Sometimes he was the only chaperone. Girls told police they sometimes shared a room with him, but not a bed. He slept in Disney pajamas, one girl said.

He provided Disney swimsuits and dresses and took pictures. He held swimsuit-changing contests, where girls would change suits in the bathroom between laps in the pool. One girl changed suits 60 times, she told police.

Baker held sleepovers at his house. Girls told police he gave hugs and piggy back rides, and tickled and massaged them, but never in a bad way.

"No middle school girl should ever see her school principal in pajamas," Verona said in the letter to the school. "Middle school females should not be tickled, massaged or rubbed in any way, particularly by middle aged adults with authority over them."

The lack of criminal charges does not matter to the church, the letter said, calling the appearance of impropriety "intolerable."

The lease between the church and school expires in May 2004.

Westside pastor Tim Riggs has "asked, encouraged, cajoled and urged Dr. Baker to do the right thing and resign," the letter said.

The church added two of its own members to the school's board this week. But the seven-member board has been largely silent. It issued a one-page letter to parents saying it would investigate whether any policies have been violated.

The school's lawyer, Donald Giffin, said earlier this week that three board members would conduct the examination.

"If we're wrong we're going to correct it," he said. "And if we're right we're going to tell everyone we're right."

News of the leave and the investigation failed to deter a group of parents seeking legal help to push out Baker and the board.

"It relieves me that he is not going to be there when my child returns to school," said Parrish Anderson. "But this is not over."

The parents are meeting Saturday morning at Largo First Church of the Nazarene, where Ben Baucom is pastor.

"We're not just after Baker," said Baucom, who has three sons at the school. "The game is over when a legitimate board is voted in and Baker is gone."

The group contends that the board was not properly elected and that it is composed of Baker's friends, including parents of three of the Princesses. One board member's daughter has been to Disney 81 times, she told police. Baker was best man in one board member's wedding.

The school's attorney said the board is legitimate, but the school will schedule another election.

Teachers returned Wednesday to a school divided on whether Baker should stay or go.

Some are preparing lessons they aren't sure they will deliver. Some said they will quit unless Baker goes. Others believe the board will fire them for speaking publicly against him.

Baker told teachers Thursday that he was stepping aside and that "The kids must get back to normalcy," said athletic director Glenn Walker and other teachers.

Baker said it is important that school open Tuesday. He said teachers could call him if they wanted to talk.

Board member Wayne Jordan told the teachers that preschool director Eleanor Ladd would serve as interim administrator, the teachers said.

If Baker has not resigned by noon, the matter will go to the courts, Verona said. It isn't clear how long a court battle could take.

"We can't just change the locks," he said.

Pastor Riggs said the church loves the school, which serves about 250 students from preschool to 12th grade, and that the issues go beyond the legal language of liability and contract clauses.

The church has built a certain atmosphere and reputation over time that is just as much an asset as its buildings and its bank accounts, he said.

"We have a moral goodness value that we have to protect," he said. "It's not tangible but people in the community see it. That's what we see is being destroyed."