CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Parents in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district are demanding answers related to the suspension, and following retirement announcement, of a high school principal.
Ardrey Kell High School Principal Jamie Brooks recently announced her retirement from the role. Weeks before that announcement, Brooks was suspended from her role, with pay, in early May.
Brooks’ suspension shocked many in the community. Families are demanding answers from the school district.
“We were confused,” said Jennifer Kelleher, parent of a student at Ardrey Kell High School. “What did that mean? Is somebody sick? Is … it a personal issue? What’s going on? That just fueled an immense amount of rumors.”
Families from all backgrounds, religions and ethnicities told WBTV that Brooks was known for bringing people together.
“She is a very dynamic leader and she makes it a point to seek out different perspectives,” said parent Honey Kumar, who was tearful speaking about the principal.
Brooks was principal at Community House Middle School before becoming the assistant principal at Ardrey Kell High School, so she’s known many of the local families for years. In 2020, Brooks was promoted to the high school’s principal.
“[She was] a straight shooter,” Kelleher said. “I never doubted that she was being as honest as she could be with us.”
So when parents received an email saying Brooks was suspended with pay, parents, students and teachers said they were shocked.
“None of it makes sense,” Kumar said. “We know nothing. Nothing. Just one fine day she disappeared.”
“It could be that there is an actual reason, that maybe she did actually do something wrong. We just don’t know, we don’t know,” Kelleher said. “And for CMS to continually avoid even answering the most basic of questions is suspicious and leaves no room for any trust. The staff don’t trust. Parents don’t trust. The students are incredibly saddened by what’s going on.”
Weeks later on May 29, an email was sent out to the school community saying Brooks was retiring from her role. Families’ questions turned to anger.
“CMS hasn’t communicated anything with us,” Kumar said.
Other parents told WBTV that they agreed: they haven’t been given much information.
“It’s been completely obvious that there is something else going on,” Kelleher said. “There’s no way that Jamie Brooks would retire without saying goodbye to the students and the staff and the parents. There’s no way.”
—> More: Ardrey Kell High School principal announces retirement weeks after being suspended
Parents, teachers protest
On Tuesday, June 3, dozens of parents and teachers stood outside the school with signs that read “bring back Brooks,” “united for Jamie,” and “we love our teachers.”
More than 900 people signed an online petition asking the school district to provide more information about what’s happened with Brooks.
Dozens of parents also told WBTV they plan to attend the district’s school board meeting on Thursday, June 5 to make their concerns known to the decisionmakers.
“Where is the information? You cannot take a decision behind closed doors and not let the stakeholders know what is going on. You may have a justification for it,” Kumar said. “Tell us. What are you hiding?”
WBTV reached out to every school board member about the issue, but did not receive any responses as of this publication.
WBTV asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for an explanation for Brooks’ suspension, and if a policy or law was broken by Brooks. A district spokesperson responded saying that information was related to “personnel matters, which are confidential per state law and board policy.”
According to North Carolina law, if a superintendent believes an employee has violated any of the 15 “grounds” for suspension, the employee can be suspended with pay.
The 15 “grounds” for a suspension include the following:
- Inadequate performance.
- Immorality.
- Insubordination.
- Neglect of duty.
- Physical or mental incapacity.
- Habitual or excessive use of alcohol.
- Conviction of a felony or crime.
- Advocating overthrowing the federal or state government.
- Failure to fulfill duties and responsibilities outlined by state law.
- Failure to comply with board requirements.
- Any grounds that would cause the revoking of a teacher’s license.
- A justifiable reduction in district positions.
- Failure to maintain teacher’s license.
- Failure to repay money owed to the state.
- Providing false information or omitting information on an application for employment.
Click here to read the full statute from the North Carolina Legislature.
—> Related news: Parent attacked Randolph Middle School principal weeks before suspension, report says
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