In this paper, I provide a case example exploring the complex relationships negotiated by a university researcher when PAR is conducted in a public school setting in order to better theorize how the positionality of PAR stakeholders effects classroom-based Participatory Action Research. I argue that despite a shared commitment to social justice and educational equity, the different positionalities of the university researcher and classroom teacher not only shaped each stakeholder’s relationship to Participatory Action Research, but also led to competing academic motivations in the classroom that undergirded the ultimate shortcomings of the project.