February 01, 2006 @ 1:41 pm

Boys Choir of Harlem Leaders Evicted

by: Alyssa Rashbaum

right The leaders of the choir, long at war with the Department of Education, were ordered on Tuesday [January 31] to vacate their offices and storage space at the Choir Academy of Harlem, according to The New York Times.

In late December, the choir was asked to leave the school because it did not execute a 2004 agreement to hire a new chief executive to replace founder Walter Turnbull who had been demoted to artistic director after an investigation that showed he did not take action against an employee accused of sexually harassing a student. Additionally, the choir was facing massive funding problems including a debt of up to $5 million, and had been forced to lay off a large number of necessary staff members.

On Wednesday, Turnbull attempted to enter the school and was turned away as friends and family of the choir members rallied outside.

The decision to evict the leaders of the choir stemmed from a suit filed on Monday [January 30] by the directors of the choir, claiming they were being threatened with an illegal eviction because school officials did not properly notify them of the eviction. On Tuesday, a group of parents filed a separate civil rights suit alleging that school officials were acting "out of petty jealousy and issues of control" and were out to "destroy the Choir Academy." That suit also claims the Department of Education is being racially biased against a school run by minorities.

Founded with 20 members in 1968, the choir has grown to include around 500 children, including a girls' choir. According to the Times, education officials have said that none of the school's students will be displaced and that only the choir's administrators and Turnbull are being ordered out.

The Department of Education released a statement Tuesday stating: "We have been willing to meet with them and discuss future options, but each time we came to the table, leadership of the Boys Choir of Harlem sought various avenues to undermine these discussions. Most importantly, they have not acted on their promises to deliver detailed budget information and their subsequent actions have proven their overtures to be without foundation."

When Turnbull was turned away Wednesday morning, he gave a message of hope to the crowd: "The choir is not disbanded. We will continue to rehearse, and we will continue to honor our contractual obligations because we're paid for every performance."