(CNN) Joe Louis Clark, the hard-charging high school principal who inspired the movie "Lean on Me," has died at the age of 82, his family said in a statement Tuesday. Clark was the principal of Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey, and his efforts to improve standards at the school earned him national attention. As the family statement noted, he expelled 300 students for "fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers, and drug possession" in one day. He appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1988 and the movie, "Lean on Me," starring Morgan Freeman was released in 1989. Clark also publish a book, "Laying Down the Law" about his educational strategy at the Paterson high school.

Source: CNN December 30, 2020 06:56 UTC