Hazel Park board places superintendent on paid administrative leave; board to seek interim from Oakland Schools

The Hazel Park Board of Education voted Jan. 27 to place Superintendent Croupy on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation and barred the superintendent from district property or direct communication with staff and students without prior board approval.

The resolution—read into the record during the Jan. 27 meeting—directed that the board president or a designee provide a copy of the leave notice to Superintendent Croupy on Jan. 28 and that the superintendent “cease performance of her responsibilities and duties as district superintendent without loss of salary or benefits.” The board also approved a separate motion, with an amendment, directing the board president to contact Oakland Schools by Jan. 28, 2025, to request assistance identifying an interim superintendent.

The vote came after a lengthy public-comment period in which residents raised concerns about district leadership, an apparent security matter involving master keys at the high school, and the district’s recent legal-retainer communications. The board’s motions were moved and supported in open session and approved by roll call votes.

Why it matters: The leave removes the district’s chief executive…