FRANKSVILLE, Wis. — Raymond School District's superintendent Michael Garvey announced his resignation Monday during a school board meeting.
Garvey submitted his letter of resignation in October but requested the Raymond School Board release him from his contract effective Dec. 31, 2023, as well as from any "liquidated damages being assessed."
In the letter, Garvey says he has been a victim of hostility, including receiving death threats, and notes the District's legal issues.
"I was happy I don't think he should have been hired here," Jennifer Hansen, a concerned resident said about Garvey's resignation.
Garvey was in the district for one year. Hansen says he shouldn't have been hired. "We are a very small district, and he was being paid almost a hundred thousand dollars a year to only work two days a week. I just thought he was way too expensive for us."
Garvey announced his resignation on Monday night. This comes nearly two months after the principal was suspended by the school board.
"It just seems like a really interesting time for him to ya know leave his position is when the ACLU starts asking questions" Hansen explained.
However, Garvey says he sent the letter back in October to his school board.
Monday the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin (ACLU) announced it was looking into the school board's disciplinary action of principal Jeff Peterson. Peterson claims he is the target of discrimination due to his sexual orientation.
"It all started with Jeff Peterson, but it's also become a lot about our taxes and all the money this school board is spending" Hansen explained.
Even though Garvey has handed in his resignation, concerned residents want him out now. They have sought legal action to do so.
"The voters of the Raymond School District had an annual meeting in which they voted to terminate his contract" Attorney William Sulton explained.
Sulton is representing the concerned residents. "They are frustrated with the board of education which has defied the will of the voters and continued to let Dr. Garvey make critical decisions about their school district when they voted to terminate his contract.”
Hansen fears that this could have a serious impact on the learning that's happening at Raymond School. "You can't tell me that ya know the teaching isn't being affected and these kids aren't feeling the tension. So yeah the students are the ones being hurt here."
You can read Garvey's full resignation letter, which he read Monday evening, below:
Raymond Resignation by TMJ4 News
"Since the middle of summer, a group of vindictive staff members in consort with vindictive community members has held the District hostage," the letter reads in part. "The introduction of a hired agitator at Board meetings is the ultimate example. Unkind, untrue, and unsubstantiated accusations of misconduct, have run rampant."
Garvey's letter notes the "fiscal resources" of the District are being "drained" due to the need to "engaged legal counsel."
- RELATED COVERAGE: Board votes to consider firing Raymond Elementary School principal
Garvey goes on to note," It has been said that a hostile work environment exists. The target, and yes victim, of the most hostility has been me. Death threats directed towards me and my family members, our property, and even our animals are unprecedented."
The Board voted unanimously to accept his resignation.
The Raymond School District has one school, Raymond Elementary, in Racine County. As TMJ4 previously reported, the Board voted 4-1 to consider not renewing its principal's contract despite protests in September. That specific meeting had to be adjusted due to threats against school leaders, which prompted the school to go into a "modified soft lockdown." That means students could continue learning in the building, but no visitors would be allowed inside the facility.
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