NATCHEZ — A black former principal with the Natchez-Adams School District testified Tuesday he believed race was “more than likely” a factor in decisions made by black district officials that ultimately ended with white administrators resigning their posts.

Former West Elementary Principal Cindy Idom, who is white, is suing the district for discrimination and breach of contract. The case is being heard in federal court.

Idom resigned at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year after she was reassigned to Frazier Elementary School against her wishes before being told she could take a teaching position but would no longer be offered a principal’s position. She was principal at West Elementary for 11 years.

Testimony Tuesday included four former district administrators — including Idom — and economics professor Gerald Lee.

The former principals testified that the 2012 reorganization of the school district resulted in chaos at some schools as they tried to accommodate changes and increased student population, but the top officials in the school district were dismissive of, if not intimidating to, principals who raised concerns.

Former Natchez High School Principal Cleveland Moore, who is black, said Natchez-Adams Superintendent Frederick Hill had a “hidden agenda” that apparently included pressuring white administrators, and the fact that some administrators were white “had a lot to do with” several transfers to lesser positions within the district.

Former Morgantown Elementary Principal Alyson Bequette, who is white and now works in an administrative position in Texas, said she also believed race was a factor in decisions that ended with white administrators leaving the district.

Bequette’s testimony mirrored what Idom told the court Monday, speaking of feeling harassed and constantly called to the central administrative office for reprimand. She said it felt like Hill was trying to get rid of her.

“It felt as if we weren’t on the same team, and I had never worked in a district that worked like that, with only constant criticism,” Bequette said. “I tried everything I could think of to make it work. (The central administration) was not a place I could go and feel like there was somebody would listen.”

Bequette said Hill “had a very threatening demeanor about him.”

The relationship between the central office and herself was “very antagonistic,” she said.

“It was very badgering, and it was hard to understand why,” Bequette said. “I would express my concerns to Dr. Hill, and he would just diminish it.”

Moore said it was apparent early on that Hill “had a disdain for Mrs. Idom.”

Former Fallin Career and Technology Center Director Linda Grafton, who is white, said she could remember from principals meetings that Hill seemed “very dismissive” of Idom, and, “It wasn’t always pleasant.”

Idom would call Grafton, she said, and talk about problems she was having with Hill.

“She was calling more frequently and with more problems than she had before,” Grafton said. “She frequently said, ‘They are trying to fire me.’”

In Idom’s continued testimony Tuesday, Idom testified she never received a professional evaluation in the year leading up to her resignation even though the central office was constantly reprimanding her.

“Doesn’t it seem funny that you were getting chewed out, called to (Hill’s) office every week, but you never re-evaluated?” her attorney Ken Adcock asked her. “Could it be that Dr. Hill did not want any paper of record so he could just fire whoever he wanted?”

Bequette later testified she was evaluated that year.

Moore — who is now the director of the Career and Technology Center in Jefferson County — said that he had what he described as a “fluid” relationship with Hill that also included apparent disdain from the superintendent, and, “It was different rules for different people.”

Bequette was reassigned from principal to an instructional coach position at another school in October 2012, after school had started. Moore was moved into a position as an academic coach in June 2013.

Both said they expected their salaries to remain what was specified in their contracts — which allows for transfer — and Moore said he was even told that would be the case.

But Moore said he received $11,000 less, while Bequette said she was paid $16,000 less even though she was required to work the same number of days as an administrator as opposed to what someone on that pay scale would have had to work.

Grafton resigned after being reassigned to be a middle school principal in April 2014. Grafton testified she’d told Hill she wanted to remain at Fallin for only one or two more years at most.

When Adcock asked Grafton if she thought race played a role in her reassignment, Grafton paused before saying, “I don’t know. I hope not.”

Grafton, Idom and Bequette were all replaced by black administrators at the time, though Tucker Mitchell, the attorney representing the school district, noted the district now has more white administrators than it did when Hill took over.

The school district has not yet had a chance to call its own witnesses in the case. Mitchell has indicated he believes that could start Thursday.

Idom is seeking unspecified damages for lost past and future wages; mental anguish and emotional distress; damages to reputation, pain and suffering, humiliation and embarrassment; actual and compensatory damages; incidental and consequential damages; punitive damages; attorney’s fees and “other damages to be established.”

Economics professor Gerald Lee testified that by retiring at 61, Idom lost $342,371 in wages, based on the calculation of if she would have worked to age 65. The loss would have been $589,709 if she had worked to 68.

Lee also said Idom would have received $32,585 annually in retirement benefits if she had worked to 65, and $41,396 annually if she had worked to 68.

Her current retirement benefits generate $22,414 annually.

The trial will resume today.