The president of Douglas County’s faculty board on Thursday introduced his resignation following a tumultuous tenure main the suburban district.
Mike Peterson, throughout a particular assembly of the board Thursday night, stated he deliberate to resign on the finish of the assembly, efficient Friday. He beforehand told the Douglas County News Press that he was stepping down as a result of his household was transferring out of state.
Peterson’s time period would have expired in November 2025.
Christy Williams — like Peterson, a member of the board’s conservative majority — was elected by a 4-to-3 vote to develop into the following board president. Peterson declined to recuse himself, voting for Williams over director Susan Meek.
The administrators, in nominating Meek and Willians for the chairperson function, stated it was essential the board keep away from the bitter infighting that marked the earlier two years underneath Peterson.
Williams cited 25 years of management expertise as proof that she would make board president.
“I don’t fire up drama,” she stated.
Three board members have been formally sworn in Thursday night: Meek, an incumbent, Brad Geiger and Valerie Thompson. All three received in November’s election and opposed conservative insurance policies promoted by the board’s majority, which, along with Peterson and Williams, contains Becky Myers and Kaylee Winegar.
When a member resigns, Douglas County’s faculty board has 60 days to nominate a alternative. The president holds the tie-breaking vote within the occasion of a fair cut up.
Peterson’s time helming Colorado’s third-largest faculty district has been marked by controversy.
The four-member conservative majority secretly determined in February 2022 to fireplace the district’s superintendent, Corey Sensible, with out informing the remainder of the board. A decide later dominated that almost all violated Colorado open assembly legal guidelines. The district ended up paying greater than $100,000 as a part of a lawsuit.
Sensible in April of final yr filed a state and federal discrimination criticism in opposition to the college district and the 4 conservative board members members, saying he was unlawfully fired as a result of he advocated for college kids with disabilities and college students of colour.
The district settled that lawsuit earlier this yr and agreed to pay Sensible greater than $830,000.
The superintendent fiasco led to widespread protests from Douglas County academics, college students and oldsters.
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