CMS educators raise doubts about probe into school administrator complaints
.png "The Elizabeth Schmoke Randolph building on Stuart Andrew Boulevard contains administrative offices for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.")
By spring break, educators at Olde Providence Elementary School had had enough.
Several complained of “favoritism” and “differential treatment” from the school’s principal — creating what six teachers told The Charlotte Observer was a “very hostile” work environment.
When they submitted complaints to the district’s anonymous reporting line, they hoped for a full investigation, including a representative from the district setting up and publicizing a time when teachers with complaints could talk to them as a group. Instead, they say the matter was marked as “resolved,” even though no representative from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spoke with any of them.
The Charlotte Observer spoke with six teachers who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. They hesitate to speak one-on-one with district leadership directly for the same reason.
Amid a recent slew of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools communications controversies, those who spoke to the Observer say don’t feel heard, and the lack of transparency they’ve experienced has eroded their trust in district leadership.
CMS said it considers all reports carefully, regardless of if they were submitted anonymously.
“Resolution timeline is determined by the assigned area or leader and is often influenced by numerous factors,” the district said in a statement. “All concerns reported to Employee Relations are taken seriously and reviewed whether the reporter provides their name or if it is an anonymous report.”
What happened
Teachers at the school said they experience a “toxic” work environment, marked by “favoritism and condescension.” One said she had been prescribed anxiety medication as a result, despite never requiring medication for her mental health before. When they complained to the district, though, they were left feeling the matter wasn’t thoroughly investigated.
Educators submitted concerns to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ Speak-Up Line — where employees can submit anonymous reports of misconduct to the district’s Office of Compliance and Ethics. After a couple of weeks, they checked their accounts on the platform, and each of their complaints had been marked as resolved.
“As of now, this investigation is complete,” said a message one teacher received from CMS that she shared with the Observer. “While we are unable to share the specific details of this investigation, we are able to assure you that our office is satisfied with the way in which this matter has been resolved at this point in time.”
Parents at Olde Providence have gone to bat for teachers since their complaints arose.
“We’ve been told that the submissions and speak-ups have been investigated and been found to be unmerited. But how do investigations occur if not one teacher has had a conversation regarding the concerns submitted?” Olde Providence parent Annie Earnhardt told the CMS Board of Education at its meeting June 5.
Even though complaints were submitted anonymously, teachers said they hoped the district would send a representative to the school to hear from a group of educators about the problem. They requested as much in complaints submitted to the Speak Up line — not identifying themselves but naming their school and asking that a meeting be held at the campus with a human resources representative from CMS.
No such meeting was held, teachers said.
Since then, each educator who spoke to the Observer said they haven’t received any other communication from CMS on the matter.
CMS response
CMS, tailors its handling of each Speak-Up line report on a case-by-case basis. But reports are reviewed and “taken seriously” regardless of whether they’re submitted anonymously, a spokesperson for CMS human relations said in a statement.
“Reports are accessible by two staff in the Office of Compliance and Ethics that triage and forward to the appropriate area or leader for next steps, which may include investigation or follow-up,” a spokesperson for the CMS Office of Compliance and Ethics told The Observer in an email. “The Office of Compliance and Ethics doesn’t facilitate the resolution but ensures that the report is routed to the appropriate office or leader to address.”
When it comes to personnel, though, some matters are considered confidential under state law, so not all details may be disclosed.
Trust issues
The spokesperson for CMS human relations said teachers have the option of reporting concerns directly to employee relations. However, all six of the educators who spoke with The Observer said they were uncomfortable doing so.
It’s indicative of a larger undercurrent of fear running through the district, they said.
“We have directly asked for someone to speak to these teachers in a safe environment, anonymously. That request has been refused, and we’ve been told the only way for this to move forward is for all the teachers to come forward to their human capital partners,” Earnhardt told the school board. “They already feel they work in a toxic work environment and do not feel safe coming forward with their names.”
The educators who spoke with the Observer said they’re not sure where else to turn. It didn’t help when CMS came under fire from parents and staff at other schools last month after suspensions of two school leaders that went unannounced for several weeks.
“I’m concerned about the toxic work environment at our school and within the administrative ranks at CMS,” Earnhardt said. “I’m concerned teachers have no voice and no safe spaces.”
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 11:07 AM.
