CMS leader admits he left meeting with Black leaders, blames ‘confrontational tone’
Facing criticism and an allegation that he slammed papers down on a table before storming out of a meeting with local Black leaders, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ Interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh issued a statement Thursday acknowledging the situation.
Mecklenburg County Commissioner Vilma Leake told The Charlotte Observer in an interview Thursday the meeting with Hattabaugh, herself and members of the African American Faith Alliance last Friday was cordial until the interim school leader’s abrupt exit.
Hattabaugh, though, in his statement, claims the meeting had a “confrontational tone and was less-than-productive from the start.”
He did not address statements made by Leake and others there, first reported by WSOC-TV on Wednesday, that he threw down or slammed papers in front of him on the table before abruptly leaving the room. Members of the African American Faith Alliance and Leake told WSOC they felt disrespected after the meeting when Hattabaugh left abruptly.
The alliance is a Charlotte-based group whose mission is to “engage, educate and empower African-American parents and community members” in public education.
Hattabaugh’s statement on Thursday said the purpose of the meeting was twofold. He was planning to share the district’s plans for re-organizing CMS learning communities. That would, he said, increase accountability and improve outcomes for students in the district’s highest-poverty schools. Second, Hattabaugh said, he was there to discuss how African American Faith Alliance churches might partner with the district in terms of out-of-school-time support for CMS students and families.
“After an hour-and-a-half of attempting to re-direct back to the agenda, it became clear that the meeting was not going to lead to collaborative solutions for the students we serve,” Hattabaugh said, “and I left.”
Hattabaugh, whom the school board appointed in April to replace fired superintendent Earnest Winston, told the Observer the meeting was a follow up to a previous meeting, and he had anticipated an hour for the meeting.
“Between my onboarding as interim superintendent, closing out the school year, and managing a challenging budget season, I have not yet had time to meet with many of the community groups that I’d like to,” he said. “However, I have prioritized time for two meetings in my first month with the AAFA.”
Leake told the Observer that the meeting went cordially until the end. Rev. Jordan Boyd, who the Observer could not reach for comment, was in attendance and told WSOC that Hattabaugh “folded up his papers, threw them down on the desk, said to us he didn’t have to take it and he wasn’t going to take it and he left.” The Observer also tried to reach out to Arthur Griffin, who was at the meeting, but he did not return a call for comment.
Leake told the Observer she and the other handful of leaders felt disrespected. She said the meeting was part of a monthly arrangement the African American Faith Alliance set up with the superintendent.
“I don’t know why he did what he did, and I still don’t,” Leake said. “I haven’t heard from him since. We haven’t gotten an apology, nothing.”
Leake said Hattabaugh’s behavior left leaders speechless.
“No one knew what to do,” she said.
Thelma Byers-Bailey, the vice chair of the CMS Board of Education and the District 2 representative, defended Hattabaugh on Thursday.
In a statement to the Observer, she wrote: “If anyone wants to judge Hugh Hattabaugh, he has a long history of principled service and commitment to equity. Neither baseless allegations nor efforts from individuals and entities who have their own agendas will distract this district from its very important and under-resourced work.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 5:59 PM.
