ROCKWOOD ADMINISTRATOR RESIGNS AFTER SUBMITTING QUESTIONABLE CONTRACTS.
"I am resigning so I can feel safe in my body and in my workplace--mentally and emotionally. I am resigning in order to return to feeling valued as one of the region's most innovative, student centered educators."
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| Terry Harris resignation announcement |
The resignation continues the spotlight that's been on Harris since September, when Rockwood's Board of Education first expressed concern over a contract he had been submitting, yearly, for approval.
That company was temporarily not allowed to do business in the state of Missouri, and, the BOE later rejected it, along with two other contracts Harris submitted, in October. The vote was 4-3.
We have reported extensively on those contracts, an apparent Harris conflict of interest, lack of bids for the contracts, and, multiple arrest warrants for a speaker that Harris hired, to teach students about personal responsibility.
Get all the details here.
It's worth nothing that a request for records and emails pertaining to contracts Harris and his department submitted was sent to Rockwood in late October. Rockwood said records would be available in January. Harris submitted his resignation letter December 16th.
This was not Harris' first time in the spotlight. In June of 2021, he was interviewed by Time magazine and claimed in other articles that he'd been receiving death threats from parents who opposed lesson content that emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion.
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| St. Louis Public Radio |
Said death threats have been referenced repeatedly in news articles about Harris, though no proof of any death threats has ever surfaced.
Note: Rockwood said it was careful NOT to characterize communication with Harris as death threats:
Also note: Records requests to Rockwood, and multiple law enforcement agencies at that time, revealed no evidence of threats against any staff in Rockwood. Eureka police shared that incident reports were closed as "unfounded."
THREAT?
Because Terry Harris references wanting to feel safe in his resignation email, it seems relevant to explain what is known about the alleged history of threats against Rockwood staff.
When alleged threats dominated news headlines in 2021, Harris used this social media message as evidence of threatening behavior from parents. He referenced it in the Time magazine article.
It's not a threat.
It's not from a parent.
HOW HE GOT IT
The Rockwood employee who wrote it sent it TO a Rockwood parent, who subsequently posted it on social media, as an alert about staff being fearful of Dr. Harris. Someone else (a parent) saw it and sent it to Rockwood. More on that below.
"Goes first" was referencing a desire that Harris would be fired because employees are "scared of" Dr. Harris, the "most racist guy towards white people you'll ever meet."
Harris was led to believe it was evidence of threatening behavior against him because that other parent said it was.
This is how he talked about his panic in Time Magazine:
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| Time Magazine, June 2021 |
ORIGIN OF "THREATS" CLAIMS
Records show, the same parent that sent the email that scared Terry Harris, had been emailing the district multiple times, sending screenshots from social media, and claiming that multiple parents in Rockwood were racist and making threats. No proof of threats has surfaced, to date. That parent was publicly shamed, later, due to her social media comments about then-BOE candidate Izzy Imig. Read more about that, and see her above-referenced email, here.
UNCERTAIN
Harris' departure leaves the future uncertain for another department he oversees: the Department of Educational Equity and Diversity. That department's administrator, Dr. Aisha Grace, has already been on leave, due to a pending DWI charge.
The department's previous administrator, Brittany Hogan, also resigned. She did so, amid claims of racism and death threats. No proof of her alleged death threats has ever surfaced, either.
THE VOTES THAT STARTED IT ALL
Harris has stated he was deeply hurt that the BOE rejected his contracts. Some parents unhappy with the votes have suggested the votes were racially motivated, since Harris is Black, and, the contracts were for programs that primarily benefitted Black students.
However, two of the four BOE directors that rejected the contracts are minorities like Harris is: Jessica Clark is Black. Izzy Imig is an Arab immigrant from Iraq. Voters overwhelmingly elected Clark and Imig last April.
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This post has been updated to reflect additional information about alleged threats against Rockwood staff so that readers understand the context surrounding Dr. Harris' statement that he's leaving so he can "feel safe" in his body and his workplace.