By Cash Michaels –
Did right-wing politics play a role in the sudden firing of Dr. Charles Foust, the African American superintendent of New Hanover County Schools (NHCS), by the NHCS Board of Education?
There was no warning, no indication during the course of the NHCS School Board meeting on July 2, 2024 that Foust would be terminated. In fact, he was present, as is customary for the superintendent, at school board meetings.
When the board went into closed session to discuss issues normally not allowed to be made public, Foust went with them. But when they came back out around 11 p.m. and announced his termination, Dr. Foust, who had been superintendent since 2020, was gone. He had reportedly left the building.
The school board vote, 5-0, was unanimous. The only reason given was the result of a district-wide climate survey of over 2,000 teachers and staff members, which reportedly panned district leadership, including the school board.
Dr. Foust, per his contract, will be paid one year’s salary of $225,000. Ironically, Foust’s contract was just extended in 2023 to 2027. And last April, he was named the 2024-25 Regional Superintendent of the Year by the 12 school superintendents of the District 2 Southeast Region.
Foust, the first African American to serve as schools superintendent for New Hanover County in its history, issued a statement upon his termination:
“I am proud of the students and all employees of NHCS. We accomplished so many great things in the last four years. I am grateful for how my peers, the state, and the community have recognized the diligent work put forth for student academic achievement. I wish NHCS nothing but the best; I know the students will continue to achieve excellence … focus on the focus.”
Dr. Foust’s attorney, Gary Shipman, issued his own statement about the NHCS Board’s punitive action on Wednesday, July 3, 2024:
“This morning, I called…
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