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Parents, teachers press Anoka-Hennepin board to reinstate AMSA principal and clarify staff-leave practices
Summary
Dozens of staff, parents and students testified that removing a middle‑school principal and placing staff on non-disciplinary paid leave harmed school safety and morale. Speakers urged reinstatement, better communication, and consistent restorative practices for staff as for students.
Multiple teachers, parents, students and community members used the public‑comment period at the Dec. 9 Anoka‑Hennepin School Board meeting to urge district leaders to reinstate a recently removed principal at Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA) and to clarify the districtpolicy on non-disciplinary paid leave.
Speakers described what they called a severely disrupted school culture following the leadership change and repeatedly praised the removed principal's track record of supporting staff and students. Eric Nace, a teacher at Fred Moore, described being escorted from a building after an assault and said the former principal personally supported him during an extended recovery. Several current staff members and parents recounted examples where employees placed on non‑disciplinary leave lost access to district email and pay information and said they were isolated from colleagues for weeks while investigations were pending.
Speakers framed their concerns as both a safety issue for students and a workplace fairness issue for staff. Several invoked restorative justice principles used with students and asked why similar processes were not extended to staff. Commenters asked the board for clearer communication about thresholds and timelines for placing employees on paid leave and for reinstatement or at least a transparent path to restoring the affected administrator to school duties.
District leaders did not announce personnel decisions in the public meeting and repeatedly told speakers that personnel matters require adherence to district policy and privacy protections. Board members heard the testimony and indicated they would follow up through the appropriate administrative channels.
Why it matters: Teachers and school leaders flagged staff support and consistency of process as essential to school safety and teacher retention; the broad public turnout on this issue signaled significant community concern.
