The Scarborough Board of Education has again refused to meet with the high school principal who rescinded his resignation Monday following a large community protest.
Superintendent Julie Kukenberger also has refused to accept Scarborough High School Principal David Creech’s decision to rescind his resignation, according to a statement from Creech’s attorney.
Creech submitted his resignation letter Feb. 16 amid growing community controversy and without giving a public reason, though his wife and his attorney claim the superintendent forced his sudden action.
Creech then withdrew his resignation Monday morning, after hundreds of students, parents and other community members protested his pending departure as they returned from winter break.
Creech and his attorney, William Michaud, submitted a repeated meeting request to the school board’s lawyer on Tuesday seeking “an opportunity to discuss Mr. Creech’s employment status, and to, once again, offer a compromise.”
“Our request was denied,” Michaud said Wednesday in a written statement.
Kukenberger and school board Chairwoman Donna Beeley didn’t respond to requests to confirm details of Michaud’s statement.
Michaud’s statement said further, “We are disappointed that the superintendent has chosen not to agree to the rescission of (Creech’s) resignation, which was submitted under duress.”
It also expressed disappointment that Kukenberger “still refuses to offer specific reasons for her decisions regarding (Creech’s) employment” and that “our attempts at a compromise resolution have been, thus far, unsuccessful.”
“Mr. Creech deserves to know the exact reasons why his employment is in jeopardy,” Michaud wrote. “We will continue to work toward the goal of a fair and reasonable outcome of this matter.”
Creech’s resignation letter said he would leave June 30. Neither Kukenberger nor Beeley has offered substantive comment on what they consider a private personnel matter.
Michaud said Creech submitted the letter a day after Kukenberger called him into a meeting, told him he was no longer a good fit for the district, and “threatened” that if he didn’t resign, she wasn’t going to renew his contract for the following year.
Parents and community groups are connecting the turmoil to growing controversy over a pending change in school start times and other divisive issues.
Following his resignation, Creech experienced an outpouring of community support, including a #WeStandWithCreech social media campaign and an online petition signed by more than 1,400 people.
Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
kbouchard@pressherald.com
Twitter: KelleyBouchard
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