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essence.com Joe Clark county Clark New Jersey city Paterson Celebrity Deaths film cover Love 1989 Joe Clark county Clark New Jersey city Paterson

Joe Clark, Inspiration Behind 1989 Film 'Lean On Me,' Dead At 82

31.12.2020 - 04:27

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Lean on Me.As the principal of Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey, Clark utilized an unorthodox way of upping the school’s standards, which garnered national attention.

His family released a statement confirming his passing and reflected on his life, saying he roamed the hallways “with a bullhorn and a baseball bat,” methods that “won him both admirers and critics nationwide.” The statement continued by saying that in a single day, “he expelled 300 students for fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers, and drug possession,” which was replicated in one scene from the film.

Clark was born in Rochelle, Georgia in 1938. When he was six years old, his family relocated to New Jersey, which is where Clark began his legacy.