CMS parents demand more than ‘obscure email’ after Ardrey Kell principal suspended
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools told parents Friday that Ardrey Kell High School Principal Jamie Brooks was “away for a period,” according to an email obtained by The Charlotte Observer.
It wasn’t until Tuesday, as news outlets began reporting on Brooks’ absence, that parents learned she was suspended with pay three weeks earlier on May 2, according to district records.
Parents received an email from CMS Friday afternoon with the subject line “Building Update” that’s prompted concerns from a number of parents about a lack of transparency from the district. A parent shared the email with The Charlotte Observer.
“We want to share that Principal Jamie Brooks is away for a period,” the district’s message to parents said. “We understand that this change may cause some concerns, but rest assured that this will not affect the daily operations of the school.”
The email did not provide a reason for the change or state Brooks was suspended but said Assistant Principal Tomica Wright would lead the school in her absence. CMS later responded to a public records request from the Observer with relevant information from Brooks’ personnel file, which confirmed she was suspended.
CMS also has not provided a reason for the suspension. But it’s been a tumultuous few months for Ardrey Kell, including a high-profile incident on March 7 in which a female Muslim student was allegedly assaulted by a male student. The girl’s family alleged the incident was a hate crime. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said that no hate crime occurred, though previous Charlotte Observer reporting showed police didn’t interview the victim.
Brooks has led Ardrey Kell since 2020. Prior to that, she served as principal of Community House Middle School, a feeder for Ardrey Kell, from 2008 through 2020. She started working for CMS in 1994 as a middle school language arts teacher before being promoted to assistant principal at Northeast Middle School in 2000.
Since last week’s email, parents started a petition supporting Brooks. The petition critiqued the district’s delayed communication.
“We have witnessed firsthand the kind of extraordinary leader, advocate, and human being Mrs. Jamie Brooks truly is and we cannot stand by in silence as the future of our school is put in jeopardy,” it states. “At the end of a successful school year, the absence of transparency from CMS is threatening the stability of the Ardrey Kell community.”
It’s not the first time this school year Ardrey Kell has been part of complaints about delayed communication.
CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill apologized for a “lapse in communication” in February after CMS received shooting threats at five schools, including Ardrey Kell High School, between Feb. 16 and Feb. 18. It did not inform parents until Feb. 20.
In the petition, parents called for increased transparency from the district.
“In this time of uncertainty, we need more than an obscure email,” it said. “We need continuity, which only Mrs. Brooks can provide in this time of shifting tides. We demand of CMS that we receive full transparency and open dialogue.”
Brooks became principal at Ardrey Kell after longtime principal David Switzer was reassigned in 2020.
Prior to his reassignment, Switzer was suspended with pay following a series of racial incidents at the school. He now serves as executive director of building services for CMS.
This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 2:58 PM.
