Dr. Eugene White is once again walking the hallways of North Central High School after the school board last week named him interim principal, replacing Evans Branigan III.
The board of the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township tapped White to return days after placing Branigan on administrative leave. There had been complaints regarding verbal misconduct and failures to follow rules concerning a disciplinary matter with a student at North Central.
White first served as North Central principal roughly 30 years ago. He also served as superintendent of the Washington township school district and then as superintendent at IPS. He also served as president of Martin University from 2013 until his retirement in 2019.
While many expressed excitement in White’s return to North Central, one grad also voiced some concerns.
“I think it is a great move,” said North Central grad Keith Buckley, who attended the institution in the early 1990s during White’s tenure. “I just don’t know if Dr. White has enough time to make a real impact on the students.” Buckley suggested that White should remain a part of the hiring process for a new principal, even as a consultant.
White is expected to serve as interim principal for approximately nine weeks, working through Spring Break and finals week.
Contact multi-media staff writer Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or email at NoralP@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter at @NoralParham.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
