Parents, staff and alumni urge board to retain McDonald Elementary principal, present petition with over 1,000 signatures

Dozens of community members turned out March 9 to urge the Dearborn Board of Education to retain Dr. Adnan Mughni, McDonald Elementary’s principal, presenting a petition they said contained more than 1,000 signatures and recounting his decades of service in the district.

Adnan Mughni addressed the board and described 29 years in Dearborn Public Schools and his commitment to the school he currently leads. “I have the privilege of serving this district for 29 years,” he said, and asked the board to consider the community’s support.

Multiple speakers described organizing and rapid petition growth: an alumna said the petition surpassed 500 signatures within 24 hours and that it now totaled about 1,047 signatures from teachers, parents, staff and former students. “If he’s so ineffective, why is this room filled with love?” one speaker asked.

Speakers asked the board for transparency and described how personnel actions involving long‑tenured educators can affect school culture, staff morale and trust. A number of parents asked the board to weigh Dr. Mughni’s “institutional knowledge” and the potential effect of termination on the school community.

At least one speaker, a former board member who addressed the board, cited federal and state child‑protection statutes and used the phrase “don’t pass the trash,” urging careful oversight of how employee investigations and exits are handled. The board did not take public action on personnel matters during the meeting; trustees thanked the speakers and said community comments would be taken into account as the board proceeds through its internal processes.

Next steps: Trustees said they had heard the comments and that the board must follow process and legal constraints; no personnel vote was taken at the March 9 meeting.