Joe Clark, Tough and Dedicated NJ Principal Who Inspired Film ‘Lean on Me,' Dead at 82
Known for roaming the halls of the school with a baseball bat and a blowhorn, Clark helped turn around Paterson's Eastside High School, which was riddled with crime and drugs when he took over as principal
Published December 29, 2020 •
Updated on December 30, 2020 at 9:53 pm
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Joe Louis Clark, whose toughness and dedication to the students at a troubled high school in New Jersey landed him on the cover of TIME magazine and inspired the 1989 movie "Lean on Me," has died at the age of 82, his family said.