Ardrey Kell parents have ‘no trust’ in CMS after another communication delay
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center was awash in a sea of purple T-Shirts and handmade signs Thursday night in a scene that looked like a pep rally – but felt like a wake.
Parents and teachers from Ardrey Kell High School filled the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board meeting to demand answers after the school’s principal, Jamie Brooks, was suspended in early May and later announced her retirement. The large showing at the board meeting was the culmination of weeks of speculation, anger and confusion surrounding Brooks’ absence.
While district records show Brooks was suspended with pay May 2, parents said they were not notified until May 23, when the district sent a message indicating Brooks was “away for a period.” CMS later announced Brooks’ retirement May 29. Parents have repeatedly and publicly speculated they don’t believe the retirement was voluntary.
The district has not indicated the reason for Brooks’ suspension and a spokesperson told The Observer it is not permitted to release that information under state law.
North Carolina law makes some elements of an employee’s personnel file public, including the date and type of suspension. The reason for a suspension is not considered public information. However, superintendents may release information about suspensions, including the reasons, if the board of education determines it’s “essential for maintaining the board’s integrity or the quality of services provided.”
Parents say they still wonder why three weeks passed between the suspension and them being notified, especially after a lapse in February when the district did not promptly inform parents about shooting threats to the school.
“I want to know why we didn’t know sooner,” Karla Stovall, Ardrey Kell Parent Teacher Student Association president told The Observer. “What you’re saying to us is there is an issue, but you’re not telling us what it is or how to fix it.”
The Observer asked CMS why parents were not notified about Brooks’ absence for three weeks, and it did not provide an answer. When The Observer followed up, a spokesperson for the district said, “We do not have anything further to add.”
Mixed reactions
Many parents and staff said they deeply trusted Brooks and struggle to understand reasons for her suspension, especially as the leader of one of the top-performing schools in the state.
“Ardrey Kell is a school of excellence,” said Sarah Dorsey, parent of a freshman and 2024 Ardrey Kell graduate. “I’ve questioned CMS along the way for many years, but I always knew it would be OK because I knew Jamie was in the driver’s position.”
Ardrey Kell was ranked the 10th best high school in North Carolina during the 2023-24 school year by U.S. News and World Report. It typically ranks in the top two high schools in CMS. It’s also the largest high school in the district and one of the largest in the state, with an enrollment of around 3,500.
CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill acknowledged the school’s accomplishments in an email to parents Tuesday. CMS shared it with The Observer.
“Ardrey Kell High School is a great school community with outstanding teachers, staff and students supported by an equally outstanding community. You have so much to celebrate,” she wrote. “Ardrey Kell High School is well-known across the state for its excellence in academics, athletics and extra-curriculars.”
Dorsey said Brooks, who has led the school since 2020, was an integral part of the school’s success.
“Everything she talked about in that message happened under Jamie,” Dorsey said.
Though CMS has not provided a reason for the suspension, Brooks’ departure came on the heels of a turbulent couple of months for the school.
A high-profile violent incident took place at Ardrey Kell 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 when reviewing that allegation.
Since then, the family of the male student has filed a lawsuit.
Some community members at that time said Brooks was to blame for mishandling the situation. One of them is Jibril Hough of the Islamic Center of Charlotte, who’s been a spokesperson for the family of the girl involved in the violent incident.
“Welcomed news for some; others want her back,” Hough posted on Instagram in response to the news Brooks was suspended. “I say perhaps the wheels of justice are beginning to turn.”
There’s no publicly released evidence the assault and suspension are connected.
Meanwhile, some teachers have said CMS’ communication about Brooks’ suspension has made them feel disrespected.
“I had to find out from the news,” Tyler Erb, a 10-year veteran Ardrey Kell teacher, told the board Thursday. “This is the most angry and distrustful I have ever been of this district.”
Trust issues
Ardrey Kell parents said part of their frustration with the situation is that it came just a few months after another CMS communication problem.
Superintendent Hill apologized for a “lapse in communication” in February after CMS received shooting threats at five schools, including Ardrey Kell, between Feb. 16 and Feb. 18. It did not tell parents until Feb. 20. Hill promised the district would work to do better in the future.
“I honestly appreciated that they acknowledged it and hoped they would learn from it,” Kelly Ludwick, the mother of an Ardrey Kell sophomore, told The Observer. “But, then this happened.”
Ludwig said a virtual engagement session the district held for Ardrey Kell parents Tuesday didn’t quell her anger. She said a district representative presented slides and gave a link to a survey where parents could answer questions about what they want to see in the school’s next principal. They did not take parents’ questions or comments on the call, Ludwick said.
“It was a slap in the face. We were all very insulted by that,” Ludwick said. “It felt like they were checking the community engagement box.”
CMS is holding an in-person session Monday at 6:30 p.m. to get community feedback, but Dorsey is skeptical it will be productive.
“There are so many unanswered questions,” she said. “There may be too much hurt and anger to make that a productive meeting.”
Others are more hopeful but say they need to see accountability and genuine engagement from the district.
“I think they need to allow parents to ask questions and then for those questions to be answered,” Stovall said.
Hill told parents she hopes to have Brooks’ replacement named by July 1.
This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to state the family of the male student in the March 7 Ardrey Kell incident has filed a lawsuit.
