Metcalf fired as superintendent over comments about George Floyd
June 5, 2020
GRAND LEDGE—The Grand Ledge school board unanimously voted on Friday evening to remove Superintendent Brian Metcalf from his position, after public outcry over his controversial comments made about the death of George Floyd were posted to Facebook.
This decision comes after Friday’s board meeting via Zoom, where the Grand Ledge Board of Education listened to commentary and personal testimony from current and former Grand Ledge students, parents, staff, and members of the public.
Grand Ledge Education Association President Greg Almy read a statement to the board at the start of the meeting, and said a vote was taken among the district staff, and 80% of the 300 faculty members “do not have confidence” in Metcalf’s abilities as the superintendent of their district.
He ended his statement by saying, “…Metcalf’s ignorance has left our school district and community tarnished by making tone-deaf remarks about a socially charged topic.”
The meeting featured emotional personal statements and testimonies by several non-white members of the Grand Ledge community, who spoke out about their own experiences living as people of color in a small, rural, predominately white town..
Former Grand Ledge High School student John Hawkins, said “I will never forget being called (the N-word) by my fellow students in the halls on the way to class.” He went on to say that while many were his friends and were “just joking around,” it was evident that they had somewhere learned to think that language was acceptable.
Lisa Ashby Sing, a Grand Ledge High School alumni, and mother of two biracial sons who currently attend her alma mater, simply stated that, “This man clearly harbors deep-rooted racial bias that a class cannot fix,” in regards to Metcalf previously offering to attend cultural diversity and racial sensitivity courses.
This decision comes weeks after Metcalf responded to a Facebook post regarding the death of George Floyd, killed by Minneapolis police earlier this year, in which he said, “Had he not paid with counterfeit money, had ne not resisted arrest, had he not been under the influence, there would have been no conflict with officers,” and “It all starts with being a law abiding citizen.”
Members of the Grand Ledge community quickly took notice of these comments, and no less than hours after they were made, an online petition to fire Metcalf was circulating online, garnering over 6,000 signatures.
Metcalf will be placed on paid administrative leave until the termination of his contract is made final.