Ardrey Kell principal David Switzer reassigned to CMS central office
Ardrey Kell High School’s principal, David Switzer, who was suspended pending an investigation amid complaints about his response to racial incidents at the school, will step down from his position and move to a new job in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ central office.
Two competing petitions, one calling on him to resign over his handling of racial incidents and another praising his leadership, each drew thousands of signatures in recent weeks. Critics said Switzer did not do enough to discipline students involved in racial incidents, while supporters said he could not be held responsible for the actions of students.
A CMS spokesman said that the district and the principal agreed that after Switzer’s 10 years at the helm of Ardrey Kell, the school may benefit from a change in leadership. The change in position was effective Wednesday. Switzer did not return a call for comment Wednesday evening.
Switzer will move to a new role within CMS’s central office, serving as the executive director of continuous improvements and logistics, a role that “will leverage his experience, talents, and relationships with school level leaders,” the district said. His compensation will not change from the $144,739 he made as Ardrey Kell principal, a spokeswoman said.
Switzer was suspended with pay on June 11 pending an investigation by the district, CMS said at the time. Earlier that month, after a Black Lives Matter display painted on the school’s spirit rock was vandalized, a petition calling on Switzer to resign drew more than 4,000 signatures.
A counter petition created in response to support Switzer’s leadership, praising his management of one of the district’s largest and most overcrowded high schools, gained more than 7,000 signatures.
After the vandalism of the spirit rock, CMS released a video of Switzer condemning the incident. But some alumni said that, despite the statement, the episode was reflective of deeper issues regarding race at Ardrey Kell, and that Switzer had not done enough to address those issues.
In August 2019, Switzer apologized to Ardrey Kell teachers and employees for using the term “colored folks” during an earlier staff meeting. He attributed the incident to a slip of the tongue while discussing diversity initiatives, the Observer reported. The district said in May that it had no record of disciplinary action taken as a result of the incident.
Ardrey Kell alumni told the Observer that Switzer’s actions contributed to a culture of intolerance at the school. They said he sometimes used crude language to describe predominantly Black schools and failed to seriously discipline those involved in racial incidents.
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.
After he was suspended, roughly 200 parents, students and staff gathered outside the school building in a show of support for his leadership. People at the event held signs saying “Switzer is NOT the problem,” “Save Our Switzer” and “Justice 4 Switzer.”
Many who signed the petition in support of Switzer said he should not be blamed for students’ actions. 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 statement, CMS said it will continue to support students and staff at Ardrey Kell to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment. The district will begin a search for a new principal at Ardrey Kell immediately, and will solicit input from the community.
This story was originally published July 8, 2020 at 8:38 PM.