An elite Upper West Side private preschool is in turmoil following accusations that its director breached confidentiality rules and made comments about the race of one of the school’s students.

The director of the Riverside Church Weekday School, Linda Herman, is on a leave of absence while the allegations are investigated, according to a statement from the church.

The allegations were made in a letter sent to the school by the parent of a child at the school, according to sources who have seen the letter.

Ms. Herman’s lawyer, Jeremy Orden, who is also a parent at the school said, “A devoted, beloved, and exceptional director finds herself in the middle of Kafkaesque nightmare as a result of false and/or trivial allegations made by a disappointed parent.”

In the letter, the sources said, Ms. Herman is accused of allegedly telling the parent of an African-African child not to worry about an outbreak of lice at the school because African-Americans don’t get lice.

Sources said the parent also complained in the letter that Ms. Herman had allegedly disclosed to another parent the child’s score on an evaluation used in private school and public Gifted and Talented Program admissions. They said the letter also stated that Ms. Herman did not properly communicate her discussions with the director of another school where the parent was seeking admission for their child, suggesting the director had favored other children at Riverside who were applying to the same school.

Some parents at the school, who characterized Ms. Herman as well-loved by parents and students, are reacting angrily to the leave of absence, and calling on church leaders to reinstate her.

The statement released by the church said it had no further comment on the allegations.