Family asks Portsmouth school board for answers after physical education teacher undergoing cancer treatment says she was separated from position

A family member of a Portsmouth educator urged the Portsmouth City School Board on Oct. 23 to investigate how a Craddock Elementary physical education teacher undergoing cancer treatment was removed from her position and placed into retirement without direct notification.

Charice Hargrove spoke on behalf of her niece, Kenya Hargrove, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2024 and has undergone chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and radiation, the commenter said. Hargrove said Kenya stayed connected to students during treatment but received minimal communication and support from the district, and that she learned she had been separated from her position through coworkers rather than through human resources or administrators.

Hargrove said Kenya was not seeking reinstatement but was asking for accountability, better communication and for district leaders to explain how the matter was handled. She told the board that the Virginia Department of Education confirmed that medical extensions are possible at the discretion of the superintendent or the board, and she asked why that discretion was not exercised in this case.

Why it matters: The commenter framed the case as an example of a district failing to support an educator during serious illness, and asked the board to provide greater transparency so that other educators are not treated similarly.

Details from the comment: Hargrove said Kenya learned of the personnel action not from district officials but from coworkers. She said Kenya’s work email was shut off, preventing access to documentation, and that on Sept. 26, 2025, Kenya visited the school to collect belongings and was seen by students who thought she had returned to work.

Board response and next steps: Vice Chair Atkinson said the remarks weighed heavily and moved to add a closed session item at the end of the meeting to consider personnel matters; that motion was seconded, called, and carried unanimously. The board subsequently entered a closed session under the Code of Virginia for personnel matters and legal consultation (see separate article on the closed-session motion and vote).

Clarifying notes: The commenter said Kenya is still undergoing treatment and is not asking to be reinstated but wants accountability and clarity. The transcript contains the speaker’s account but does not include a district-side explanation in the public comment segment; a closed-session personnel discussion followed later on the agenda.

Ending: Hargrove closed by asking the board to “take Kenya’s story to heart.” The transcript records the public comment in full; the record does not show a public resolution during the meeting’s open session.