WESTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Wayne-Westland school board voted late Thursday night to put the district's superintendent on administrative leave following claims about her behavior.
Board members voted 4 to 3 that they will conduct an investigation into the superintendent.
As a retiree left the Wayne-Westland Community School District he wrote a letter. Now that letter is leading to action against the district’s superintendent, Dr. Shelley Holt.
The letter, written by Wayne Memorial Athletic Director Greg Ambrose, accused the superintendent of creating a culture of fear. It accused her of treating employees unfairly, changing policies for unnamed personal reasons, skipping part of this year’s graduation ceremony, and not responding to the needs of special education students in a timely manner.
Now Dr. Shelley Holt’s attorney is firing back. He wrote a letter calling the original letter libelous. It was given to the school board as they met Thursday night to discuss whether to put the superintendent on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
“This letter contains a bunch of unsubstantiated statements,” said Anthony Adams, the attorney for Dr. Holt of Ambrose's letter.
He says there are simple explanations to many allegations - for example - the allegation she skipped out on graduation.
“She was given permission by the school board president to leave graduation early to attend the graduation of her son out of state,” said Adams.
“We don’t feel she should be railroaded for having accountability and that is what we feel is happening right now,” said Jason Turner, a concerned parent.
Turner says he is outraged to see the allegations from a potentially disgruntled employee taken so seriously without an investigation. He wants the school board to be held accountable pointing to other issues.
In a school board meeting in April board trustee Fred Weaver criticized the superintendent, telling her she should shut up about a complaint she made regarding him.
Weaver at graduation took pictures of himself dressed up in Dr.Holt’s clothing and ceremonial graduation cap.
“Hostile work environment,” said Turner.
Board Trustee Weaver says he put on her graduation cap and clothes as a joke - and the issue is not unprofessional tension, but the allegations in the recent letter.
