WEDDINGTON, N.C. — The former Head of School at Union Day School in Weddington claims when he was fired by the charter school's board of directors, it was done in violation of North Carolina open meetings law.
Now, he's filed a lawsuit against his former school and the directors. His lawyer also says he was reprimanded for a collaborative issue.
A news release from attorney Kirk Lundell says Matthew Hamilton was wrongfully terminated on Oct. 15, 2021. Lundell alleges the UDS board also lied about why they chose to fire him.
"I really to this day don't have a good idea of why I was terminated," he told WCNC Charlotte's Hunter Saenz in his first interview since he was fired.
Initially, Hamilton was reportedly told by the board of directors the choice to fire him amounted to a "business decision". His laswsuit also said two letters were sent shortly after the firing to families addressing the issue. The first letter on Oct. 19 claimed Hamilton was fired "for cause", but a second letter on Oct. 22 allegedly changed course. This letter claims Hamilton had taken "discriminatory actions toward school staff", an allegation Hamilton has denied in his lawsuit.
"That's part of why this lawsuit was filed was to clear my name for something that I'd never done," Hamilton said.
“I treated everyone at UDS equally and fairly, just as I have throughout my 16 years as a teacher and principal in North Carolina Public Schools,” said Hamilton. “I have no idea why Mr. Lovell would say I discriminated against anyone. It didn’t happen. Being publicly accused of something I never was told about is wrong and I should have the opportunity to clear my name.”
Instead, Hamilton claims he was given a written reprimand on Sept. 27 from three UDS board members, criticizing how he collaborated with the board. Nowhere in the reprimand was there a mention of discrimination, according to the release from Lundell. He did note that Hamilton said the relationship with the board was strained at times because of inconsistent communications between board members, school leaders, and parents.
One occasion mentioned in the reprimand, according to Lundell's release, said Hamilton was challenged over communication with board member Joely Lord regarding a COVID-19 surge in December 2020. The surge brought concerns about a new round of school closures, and Hamilton said she posted on the school's Facebook page to give Hamilton's direct email address as the main contact for parents.
“I led UDS through unprecedented challenges in education during a pandemic, at the same time growing the school’s enrollment from around 400 to over 700 students. In order for us to provide timely responses to parent concerns, we had a process where the front office could screen and respond to the many email requests as they came in. Ms. Lord was apparently offended when I asked her to provide the correct contact information for parents, but didn’t bring it to my attention until recently," Hamilton said.
Hamilton's firing sparked protests from parents, and a shortage of teachers happened soon after. Additionally, Lundell's letter notes Sujin Hughes, the Head of Lower School at UDS, resigned after Hamilton was fired. In the release, Hughes said she “disagrees with the Board of Directors’ portrayal of Mr. Hamilton’s character", and was shocked by his firing.
Lundell's release also alleges the board held a meeting on Oct. 19, 2021 to try and correct its own supposed improper conduct, yet he also claims that the meeting violated open meetings law.
The Union Day School board provided a response to the lawsuit to WCNC Charlotte via a statement from Matthew Tilley, legal counsel to the board:
"We have reviewed the lawsuit filed by the former head of school and are confident it is without merit. The UDS Board has always conducted its business in an open and transparent manner, in compliance with open meetings laws as well as the school’s charter and bylaws, which are regulated by the State. We will defend the lawsuit as we would any other frivolous claim. In the meantime, the Board, administration and teachers remain focused on our shared mission to provide the high-quality education our students deserve."
Contact Hunter Sáenz at hsaenz@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.