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Fraternity handshake gives away, principal's resume shortcomings

Associated Press

CLEVELAND - A charter-school principal whose resume was challenged when he failed to recognize a secret fraternity handshake has resigned.

Lewis Thomas, 28, who moved here from Washington, D.C., last fall, resigned Dec. 8 from the Cleveland Arts and Social Sciences Academy. The head of the school advisory board said much of Thomas' resume was false.


Tim Goler, head of the advisory board and a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, said he began to question Thomas' credentials when Thomas failed to recognize the fraternity handshake offered by Goler. Thomas had said in his resume that he was a fraternity member.

Thomas resigned for personal reasons, according to Mosaica Education, a management company that runs the Cleveland school and 50 other charter schools in seven states. His departure prompted some parents to picket the school and to write a letter seeking his return.

Mike Connelly, Mosaica's CEO, would not comment on Thomas or why he left, citing company policy not to talk about personnel matters. He said a background check was completed on Thomas before he was hired and both sides agreed that he would leave the job.

When reached on vacation in the Bahamas last week, Thomas said he wasn't sure if the resume provided to a reporter for The Plain Dealer was actually his. Thomas said that what Goler said wasn't true.

"Look, there's a separation agreement between Mosaica and me. I resigned for personal reasons," he said. "I support the new administration, and I didn't make any disparaging remarks."

The newspaper said Thomas' resume showed discrepancies including a claimed master's degree from the University of Illinois and a claim of having worked as a principal at Phelps Career High in Washington.

Thomas doesn't have a listed phone in the Cleveland area and couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday. The school said he hadn't left contact information and referred questions to Mosaica's New York offices, where a message seeking comment was left Tuesday.