CHARLOTTE — Outrage continues from parents and staff over the suspension, turned retirement, of Ardrey Kell High School Principal Jamie Brooks.
Channel 9’s Glenn Counts attended the school’s board meeting, where he says things got heated.
Many of the parents who attended the meeting told Counts that they had been with Brooks for years and expressed their grievances regarding her absence.
“I’m here to tell you we do not trust you,” parent Jennifer Kelleher expressed.
Brooks was suspended early last month and retired this month. However, the district has not said why.
The school has been embroiled in controversy since March after a fight between two students led to allegations of religious and racial slurs being used.
Ultimately, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to prosecute the case as a hate crime.
Many of the parents believe they were kept in the dark about the fate of the principal.
“I’ve worked for this district for 12 years, 10 underneath Jamie Brooks, and this is the angriest and most distrustful I have ever been of this district. This is inappropriate, and you all need to do better,” said Ardrey Kell worker Tyler Erb.
Teacher Steven Hargrove told Channel 9 that he believes there is now a climate of fear at the school.
“Is that not the message sent to the staff of CMS? You can have a full career, be beloved of staff and students, and lead one of the state’s top-performing schools by every metric, and all of it can be gone with only media rumors remaining,” Hargrove elaborated.
Many of the speakers claimed that the board has done nothing to improve communications despite promises to do so.
“On May 23, we got a vague notice saying she would be ‘away for a period.’ You knew she had been suspended for 3 weeks by then, and you lied,” Kelleher said.
“Now you all are on notice, we need you to be more involved,” said parent Nyckea Jones.
However, none of the board members responded to the comments.
If this wasn’t loud enough, some of the parents said they will make their feelings known again during the election season.
VIDEO: Teachers protest, parents petition after Ardrey Kell principal retires amid suspension
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