DeWitt Clinton High School’s journalism teacher and her students criticized a recent New York Post story over an investigation of an alleged grade-fixing scheme involving their principal. Overwhelmingly, they support Principal Santiago Taveras and questioned the journalistic integrity of the story and daily newspaper.

“In my mind it came out of the blue,” said Ann Neary, who has taught Advanced Placement literature, writing and journalism at the school for 11 years. She said she had not heard any rumors of improper grade changing. “An investigation does not imply that the charges are true,” said Neary. The New York City Department of Education did not respond to emails about the investigation.

Taveras is reportedly accused of changing students’ failing grades to passing without teachers’ knowledge or consent. The Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools is now looking into the claims.

Neary praised Taveras’ leadership during the last few years with pressure on the school to downsize. There are currently two new schools in the building–Bronx Collaborate and World View high schools. “I think he works really hard. He tries to rally us around positive things that happen in our school, and there are many and none of it gets press,” said Neary, citing the number of recent graduates who’ve earned full scholarships to prestigious colleges, including Princeton University.

Neary said that of her 33 journalism students, 29 fully support Taveras. She said she and her students feel the Post’s editorial coverage of public schools is imbalanced. “The Post has a habit of downgrading anything that happens in public schools and over publicizing anything that happens in charter schools,” she said.