CMS suspends Ardrey Kell principal after calls for his resignation over racial incidents

Ardrey Kell principal David Switzer has been suspended with pay while the district investigates accusations made against him, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spokeswoman said Monday.

Switzer’s suspension was effective Thursday, the district said. CMS did not release more information regarding the investigation. Switzer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Last Sunday, after a Black Lives Matter display painted on the school’s spirit rock was vandalized, a petition calling on Switzer to resign over his handling of racial incidents at the school drew more than 3,400 signatures.

In response, a counter petition created to support Switzer’s leadership, praising his management of one of the district’s largest and overcrowded high schools, had gathered more than 4,500 signatures by Monday afternoon.

Some Ardrey Kell alumni said that the vandalism of the rock was emblematic of deeper problems at the school, and some criticized Switzer’s initial response to the incident for not recognizing that the original message and the vandalism were focused on Black lives.

Current and former students at Ardrey Kell told the Observer that Switzer’s actions contributed to a culture of intolerance at the school. They said he failed to seriously discipline those involved in racial incidents and used crude language to describe predominantly Black schools.

Switzer denied those allegations, and said that while the school could not publicly share the details of individual student discipline, appropriate actions were taken in each case. He also said the school had implemented significant cultural sensitivity training for staff and programming around diversity for students.

In a video released by CMS last Monday, as students planned to repaint the rock, Switzer condemned the vandalism.

“Let me make it clear that we believe Black lives matter,” he said. “If you harbor hate, if you identify with racist thinking, you have no place at Ardrey Kell High School.”

Many who signed the petition in support of Switzer said he should not be blamed for students’ actions in the recent racial incidents at the school. Switzer has the vocal support of a large number of parents and former students, many of whom say he went above and beyond to remember students’ names and support them through personal crises.

In a letter sent to staff and community members, four Ardrey Kell assistant principals praised Switzer’s leadership. They noted that while some students came forward to share negative experiences with Switzer, the principal holds those around him to a high standard.

“With high expectations comes a level of accountability that can sometimes make people uncomfortable,” Dale Adair, Yolanda Burnette, Kristina Morgan and Bridget Ritch wrote. “Mr. Switzer has made it very clear that we are not just here to teach students what is in a textbook, but that it is our responsibility to prepare them to be citizens of this ever-changing world.”

But while some former students acknowledge Switzer did many parts of his job well, they said he and Ardrey Kell leadership did not do enough to educate the entire student body on issues of race and racism and that Switzer’s methods sometimes felt controlling or demeaning.

About 53 percent of Ardrey Kell’s student body is white, and 12 percent is Black. Roughly 22 percent of students are Asian and 10 percent are Hispanic. The district as a whole is made up of around 27 percent white students, 36 percent Black students, and 27 percent Hispanic students, according to CMS data.

In August of 2019, Switzer apologized to Ardrey Kell teachers and employees for using the term “colored folks” during an earlier staff meeting, attributing it to a slip of the tongue, the Observer reported. CMS said in May that the district had no record of disciplinary action taken as a result of the incident.

Alumni who signed the petition calling on Switzer to resign said Ardrey Kell needed new leadership to implement progress on issues of race, gender and inclusivity.

Switzer earlier told the Observer that he was proud of the school’s work to address racism and bias. He said that he was continuing to evolve as a leader, and welcomed feedback from parents, students and staff.

“The events that have occurred at our school are not singular to AK, as they are pervasive issues in our country,” he said. “Despite the challenges that we face, we are doing our best to address these events in a proactive manner when possible and a reactive manner when necessary in support of our school community, especially our students of color.”

This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 2:53 PM.