Tempers flare as parents left with unanswered questions in Coast superintendent’s firing
Tempers flared Monday night as parents realized they would not be able to speak at the school board meeting or ask questions about the termination of Hancock County Superintendent Teresa Merwin.
Dozens of people showed up to the school district office in hopes of speaking to the board about their decision and to get answers about why the beloved leader was ousted.
The board has not released any details since Merwin was fired Aug. 18 during executive session in a special called meeting.
Merwin was appointed to the position in July 2021.
“Are we going to address the elephant in the room?” one parent asked as School Board President Jennifer Seal went through the agenda.
Seal told the parent that she needed to submit a letter in advance of the meeting to be added to the agenda and address the board.
“You people are truly unreal,” the parent replied before storming out of the meeting. Others followed.
“Stop calling yourselves Christians because you only do what you want,” another yelled from the entryway just outside the office.
“Fire all of the people on the board,” another man said.
The board went through the seven-page agenda quickly Monday, and Merwin’s name was not on the schedule. No parents in the crowd went through the official process to speak to the board, and nobody on the board addressed any of the questions or comments made out of turn.
One school board member, however, did make remarks about the decision and aftermath.
Danita Holladay, who represents district five, said the “last couple of weeks have been very difficult for this board” and thanked interim Superintendent Rhett Ladner for accepting the role. Ladner was considered for the role in 2021, but Merwin was hired, Holladay said during the meeting.
“It takes a big man to step up,” she said. “He could have said, ‘I’m not going to bail you out of this mess.’”
Holladay also said the board has had to endure “persecution” on social media and complaints from parents and Hancock County residents. She apologized to all board members “for having to go through this.”
“We fight for this county ... we fight for these parents ... we’re going to continue to do that, no matter what is said.”
About three of the 50 or so attendees applauded Holladay’s speech, while others got up and left.
“We want to hear what Mrs. Merwin has to say,” one man hollered.
A Hancock County sheriff’s deputy escorted resident Charlie Stroud outside after he stood up to address the board, explaining he was unaware of the formal process to speak.
“Nobody knows what’s going on,” he said. “I feel like we deserve an explanation why Mrs. Merwin was terminated.”
Before Seal adjourned the meeting, she encouraged parents to sign up to speak to the board and attend more meetings in the future.
This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 7:47 PM.
