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DENVER — The principal at Cheltenham Elementary School in Denver resigned Friday. Some parents accused her of racism and demanded the school district replace her.

The controversy surrounding Dr. Kalpana Rao started at the end of the last school year as a result of a photo of a student eating lunch on the floor in the office.

The school had said it was punishment for acting out. Some parents felt it was racist toward their children. Rao said the policy was never about race. It was meant to make sure punished kids didn’t miss lunch while they were waiting to eat with the dean.

That wasn’t enough for some parents who held a rally outside the school Thursday saying they wanted the district to replace her. “It`s mostly Latinos, Spanish speakers, and  the behaviors that she`s doing against those kids are completely racist,” one parent said.

Rao apologized, “I did not understand deeply enough how disrespectful that felt.”

There have been other claims against the principal for making racist comments to Latinos.

The district said its investigation into the claims cleared Dr. Rao of allegations that she made an inappropriate comment to some patents. Regardless, she decided her presence was distracting from what should be the primary focus at the school: The students.

“Today, I announced to my staff at Cheltenham that I have decided to step down from my position as principal,” Dr. Rao said. “While the district’s investigation found no basis for the alleged parent concerns, it has become increasingly clear that I may not be in the best position to help the Cheltenham community fully heal. I want to ensure that there are not any distractions from what should always be the primary focus – our fantastic kids.”

“We deeply appreciate Dr. Rao’s service,” said Superintendent Tom Boasberg. “She is a person of integrity who deeply cares about social justice and improving educational and life opportunities for our kids and families, especially those who most need those opportunities.”

The district appointed CJ Grace as interim principal at Cheltenham. School begins Monday. A back-to-school event for parents and students is scheduled Friday, August 28.