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Community urges board to explain DEIB director’s abrupt dismissal
Summary
Multiple community members criticized the district’s decision to terminate its director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, recounted programs and student supports that were lost, and demanded transparency and accountability; the board’s public response explained reporting channels but did not reverse the dismissal.
Members of the Middletown community used the public-comment period at the Sept. 17 Board of Education meeting to demand answers after the district abruptly removed its director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Anita Ford Saunders said she would press the board for details about the termination and called the DEIB post, established in 2021, a necessary pillar of district work: “There was an understanding of the importance of the position and the work that had to be done,” she said, urging the board to provide accountability. Other residents described concrete programs they said the director had brought: an HBCU tour, community cultural events, an “amistades” program and grants that supported student experiences.
Michelle Clay, who said her son attended Middletown schools, described the termination as a loss for Black and brown students and said the departure would leave a lasting impression on those relationships. Ktia Holmes and Erica Hunter each recounted classroom moments and community events where the former director, identified in public comments as Dr. Jada Waters, connected with students and families.
Several commenters emphasized the director’s record. Lisa, speaking on behalf of former board member Anita Dempsey White, listed district initiatives credited to Dr. Waters — grassroots equity work, HBCU travel, grants and community programs — and asked the board to explain how the district moved from selecting Dr. Waters to terminating her.
Ava Hart, a licensed clinical social worker and former board member, framed the issue as a governance responsibility. She emphasized the time required to build trust in DEIB work and cited an 84% approval rate for related professional learning, saying the board has an ethical duty to support those leading equity work and to ensure reporting and investigation channels function properly.
The board and administration did respond with procedural clarifications. Superintendent Dr. Vasquez Matos and staff described the reporting avenues available under district policy and federal and state law, including the option to report to the U.S. Department of Education or the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Administrators said the district had reviewed earlier procedural gaps and implemented additional steps after a prior investigation, and they described multiple internal channels for filing complaints, including HR and the option to notify board legal counsel when complaints involve the superintendent.
No vote or formal action to reinstate the former director was taken during the meeting. Board members repeatedly invited complainants to meet with administrators to discuss details that cannot be discussed in public comment for personnel and privacy reasons. Commenters said they would continue to press the district for a fuller public accounting.
The board moved on to other agenda items after closing public comment; the meeting record shows no formal board motion related to the dismissal during the session.
