Former Accomack County superintendent stunned by firing

ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. — In an exclusive interview with News 3, former Accomack County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Rhonda Hall said she was blindsided by the news that she was being fired. The decision came after an emergency school board meeting Wednesday in which board members voted 5-4 to remove her from her superintendent position.

“I found out about this about an hour or two before the meeting through rumors. .

In a statement, ACPS School Board Chair Janet Turner said, in part:

Watch: Rally to support fired Accomack County Public Schools superintendent

People rally in support of fired Accomack County Public Schools superintendent

“When you say you are looking for a leader who will be more aligned with those goals, then my question would be what are those goals. What am I missing? Dr. Hall said.

Dr. Hall is the first black person to become superintendent of Accomack County. She worked for ACPS for 36 years. Dr. Hall says she started as a teacher in the district and then worked her way up from principal to superintendent.

Dr. Hall was recently criticized by the Virginia Department of Education for her actions as superintendent. In the letter, the department summoned Dr. Hall for failing to cooperate with law enforcement during an investigation into an alleged shooting threat by a student.
The letter said her actions potentially jeopardized the safety of students and staff.

Watch: Accomack County Public Schools Superintendent Fired After Recent Criticism

Accomack County Public Schools Superintendent Fired After Recent Criticism

In Dr Hall’s defence, she says the incident was incorrectly reported as a threat.

“This was a conversation between two students and there was no threat. If you’re in a daycare and you say I’m going to shoot you, we do a threat assessment for that child. We don’t take anything lightly.” Dr. Hall said. “So to imply that I was putting children at risk was very hurtful.”

Members of the Accomack County community gathered Friday afternoon to support Dr. Hall. Change.org petitionbegan calling for the county to reinstate Dr. Hall. It has already collected more than 200 signatures.

“We should not apologize when we stand up for justice. I have never in my career seen anyone relieved of their duties without cause,” said Dr. James Fedderman, Accomack County Public Schools official.

The petition also calls for fairness, transparency and accountability in decision-making in Accomack County Public Schools. As for Dr. Hall, she says she’s looking forward to what’s next.