ATTLEBORO - A popular middle school principal on the brink of retirement says he's being told he'll be "relocated" if he returns from sick leave - and he was told to hand in his keys.

Richard George, principal of Brennan Middle School, wrote in an e-mail that Superintendent Pia Durkin informed him of the move in a letter, and that he turned in the keys, his cell phone and an electronic identification card a week ago with "deep sorrow."

George, who intends to retire at the end of the school year, said he wants to return to his job to participate in year-end activities and say a proper goodbye to his students and staff.

Durkin said she could not respond directly to a "personnel issue," but did say that the issue of relocating George was never discussed. She said that if his medical condition allows him to resume his duties before the end of the year, the principal would be allowed to return to Brennan.

She added that the keys and other equipment were needed to allow a fill-in administrator to do his job. George, who has been battling high blood pressure, said it's difficult to go public with his statements, but that he believes he is not being treated fairly.

"I've worked very hard there over the past five years," he said. "I wanted to leave on a positive note."

George said Durkin has engaged in "micromanagement," and that her treatment of school administrators has caused several to leave the Attleboro school system over the past two years.

Durkin called the accusations "very unfortunate," and said she had not discussed moving George.

A letter sent to Brennan parents by Durkin on May 9 said that George would be absent from school because of medical reasons, and that Assistant Principal Pat Knox had been asked to "assume the important responsibilities that must take place before the end of the year."

In addition, the letter said retired principal Manuel Vinhateiro had been hired to assist Knox. The letter made no mention of a possible return by George.

"We needed to make sure that we took the steps needed to allow the school to go forward without skipping a beat," Durkin said Monday.

Relative to George's remarks about administrators leaving the school system, Durkin said principals leave for a variety of reasons, including moving up to more responsible jobs or taking positions closer to where they live.

The public declaration by George comes at a time when the school department is in the process of hiring three new principals to replace departing administrators.

George and high school Principal Don Frederick both announced their intention to retire earlier this spring. Willett Elementary School Principal Gaylene Heppe recently was selected as the new principal of a school in Chatham, Durkin said. Replacements for George and Frederick have been selected but will not be announced until the next school committee meeting, Durkin said. The school department has already begun the process of finding a replacement for Heppe.

George vented his displeasure with the administration in an e-mail to staff members in which he said he had been looking forward to returning to Brennan before the end of the year. But he wrote that "this may be impossible because of the recent letter from central office."

A copy of the e-mail, along with an anonymous cover letter, was sent to school committee members, as well as The Sun Chronicle.

George said that requirements to attend workshops and conferences outside the school, submit detailed improvement plans and spend two hours or more a day in the classroom made it difficult to meet all the superintendent's requests.

Durkin said expectations apply equally to all administrators, although they might not be easy.

"I don't ask anyone to work harder than myself," she said.

Present and former Attleboro school administrators contacted by The Sun Chronicle Monday declined to comment about George's accusations or their relationship with the superintendent.

However, school committee Chairman Roberta Wuilleumier said she doubts Durkin intended to bar George from returning to his school.

"I don't think that the superintendent would make a decision that would not be in the best interest of the children," she said.

School committee member Frank D'Agostino said it might be time to hold a closed session meeting to get to the bottom of the personnel matter.

George, who said his high blood pressure worsened after a tense meeting with Durkin three weeks ago, says he wants to return to school if his doctor allows, and that he is currently feeling much better. He said his next medical appointment is on May 30.

RICK FOSTER can be reached at 508-236-0360 or at rfoster@thesunchronicle.com.