Joe Clark, the no-nonsense, baseball-bat-wielding New Jersey high school principal who inspired the 1989 movie "Lean on Me," died Tuesday at age 82, his family announced.
Clark died in his Florida home surrounded by his family after a long battle with an unspecified illness. As principal of the crime- and drug-ridden Eastside High School in Paterson, N.J., Clark famously roamed the hallways with a bullhorn and a bat to keep students in line.
His unique methods and "tough love" attitude placed Clark in the national spotlight, earning him both supporters and critics.
Eastside High School Principal Joe Clark is pictured at a rally by student supporters in Paterson, N.J. on Dec. 21, 1987. (Associated Press) "This is a sad day for our city.
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