KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Parents dissatisfied with the Piper school district’s handling of a widely publicized plagiarism controversy have called for the ouster of the district superintendent.

A parents group, Parents Involved in Education, started an informal petition last month encouraging the school board to fire Supt. Michael Rooney, parent Rebecca Jacobs told the board Tuesday night.

“We, as a group of concerned parents, ask that you take action on the wishes of the community that elected you,” Jacobs told the board. “It is up to you to turn this district around.”

Rooney and board President Chris McCord declined to comment on the request.

The plagiarism controversy erupted in January.

Rooney ordered Piper High School biology teacher Christine Pelton to change her grading system after she planned to fail students who she said plagiarized an assignment. Pelton, a Kansas University graduate who resigned her job over the issue, said Rooney had told her the school board ordered the change in the grading system, but three board members later said it was Rooney who called for the change.

The parents, who formed the group after the scandal unfolded in January, started the petition against Rooney after hearing from residents while gathering signatures on petitions to recall the three board members.

So far, more than 320 people have signed petitions for the recall of McCord and board members Greg Netzer and James Swanson. State law prohibits recalling more than three members of a school board.

Jacobs did not know how many people had signed the petitions calling for Rooney’s firing. But, she said, no one has declined to sign that petition, while some have declined to sign the recall petition.

Rooney told the board at Tuesday’s meeting that a committee appointed to develop a policy on plagiarism was almost done with its work. The new policy would give responsibility for handling plagiarism accusations to the teacher, but students could appeal to a review committee.