Principal Figgins is the principal at the William McKinley High School.
Biography
Figgins is the high school Principal of William McKinley High school, a job that he takes very seriously. Although sometimes appearing unreasonable, Figgins honestly has the students' best interest at heart, so long as it doesn't cost the school too much money. He used to work for Mumbai Airlines.
Season 1
Principal Figgins works as the head of William McKinley High School. As from running the school, Figgin's is also in charge of handling the school's budget. As a result of constantly worrying about the school funding, Figgins comes off as unnecessarily cheap with the money. At the start of the series, Figgins is uneasy about the idea of allowing Will Schuester restart the Glee Club, particularly afterhaving to fire the previous teacher Sandy Ryerson, who had been caught by Rachel Berry touching a male student inappropriately. However, Will argues his case, and Figgins agrees that if Will can form a group that will wind Sectionals, he will allow the club to continue. If the group fails, it will dispand.
Sue Sylvester, who runs the school's Cheerleading group the Cheerios, becomes infurated at Figgins taking money away from the Cheerios budget for the Glee Club, thus sparking Sue's hatred of the group and her constant scheming to have the group destroyed. Although Figgins does not particularly like Sue, he does seem more inclined to believe her and trust her judgement, due to the fact that she has brought the school a great deal of Glory. However, Sue starts to damage their arrangement, when she begins blackmails him by saying she will post an embarrassing video of him doing a sock commercial on YouTube if he doesn't do as she says, such as rehiring Sandy as the school's art head. In the end this plan fails as Figgins puts the ad online himself, and gets a lackluster response to it.
Figgins almost ends the Glee Club at the end of Mattress when the Glee kids do a commercial. The company, in gratitude sent the kids a set a mattresses, which was considered payment and took away their amature standing. Mr. Schuester however took the blame for getting the mattresses, and as a result he was fired from the Glee Club. Later in Sectionals, Will would be rehired after Figgins discovered that Sue, in an attempt to again destroy the Glee Club, had given the Sectional's setlist to the opposing school. As a result, he suspends Sue for 5 months, much to Will's thanks, who is then rehired as the Glee Coach.
Personality
Figgins although at times hard headed and penny-pinching sounding, is by no means a bad guy in the school. For the most part he's a reasonable administrator who's chief concern is the smooth running of his school and what is best for the students. Of course, if he can save money, he's more inclined to do that. Figgins does his best to make everyone happy, suggesting many compromises and for the most part offering people second chances, rather than just out right punishing them. It's revealed that he goes to therapy, which is why he's so willing to do this, as wants everyone to be nice to each other. Often times, he will invoke his therapy in his administrative methods, such as making Sue and Will hug after they have a blow out argument.