NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Several middle school administrators in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System have been fired after allegedly showing up to a school basketball game under the influence, according to a letter to families from Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Schanda Doughty.
In the letter, Doughty explains the principal and three assistant principals have been removed from New Providence Middle School after events at a basketball game on Nov. 9 at NPMS.
It’s alleged that the administrators, who showed up late to the game, consumed alcohol or were under the influence of alcohol.
“Although an administrator was assigned to attend the game, no administrator was present. It was also reported that later in the evening, all four NPMS administrators returned to the building while the game was still in session, and based on interactions with others, there were allegations of the administrators having consumed alcohol and/or being under the influence of alcohol,” the letter said.
During the investigation, the school system decided to remove the administrators based on evidence and witness statements.
“From these witness statements, interviews with the school administrators, and additional evidence, District leadership will be removing the current leadership at New Providence Middle effective immediately due to conduct unbecoming of educators, consuming alcohol prior to returning to school property and in the presence of students on campus, and neglect of duty. As building administrators, their responsibility is to ensure student safety is a top priority.”
The principal and three assistant principal positions will be posted this week. The school system said it will be working to hire a new leader for New Providence.
You can read the message sent to New Providence families in full, below:
Good afternoon, New Providence families,
We are reaching out to follow up on the internal investigation of school administrators to share what occurred and the steps CMCSS is taking to address the concerns. As we shared in our last communication, we know it was frustrating to get the news without details on the nature of the investigation. However, all employees are afforded due process, and we must ensure there is a thorough investigation of all concerns and allegations to provide accurate information to families and the community.
On November 16, Human Resources was contacted regarding a concern with the administration at New Providence Middle School following basketball games on November 9 hosted at NPMS. Although an administrator was assigned to attend the game, no administrator was present. It was also reported that later in the evening, all four NPMS administrators returned to the building while the game was still in session, and based on interactions with others, there were allegations of the administrators having consumed alcohol and/or being under the influence of alcohol. Based upon this information, the Human Resources Department immediately began investigating the concerns and placed school administrators on alternative worksites, pending the outcome of the investigation. During the investigation, multiple witnesses came forward with statements, and Human Resources was able to obtain additional evidence. From these witness statements, interviews with the school administrators, and additional evidence, District leadership will be removing the current leadership at New Providence Middle effective immediately due to conduct unbecoming of educators, consuming alcohol prior to returning to school property and in the presence of students on campus, and neglect of duty. As building administrators, their responsibility is to ensure student safety is a top priority. Dr. Luna-Vedder and District leadership feel strongly that administrators are expected to serve with the utmost professionalism and integrity and must be held accountable for their actions.
The principal and three assistant principal positions will be posted this afternoon, and we will be working to identify excellent candidates to lead New Providence. Until new leadership is selected, Mr. Slight and I, with support from other Instructional leaders, will continue serving as your interim administrative team.
These have been difficult days for the entire New Providence community. However, the actions of a few do not define New Providence Middle School. The faculty and staff at New Providence remain committed to providing consistency and stability for students, and through their expertise, passion for children, professionalism, and empathy, we will get through this difficult time and ensure all students are educated and empowered to reach their full potential.
We hope all of our families have a wonderful Thanksgiving break, and we look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, November 27.
Sincerely,
Dr. Schanda Doughty, Chief Academic Officer
Copyright 2023 WSMV. All rights reserved.