Rock Hill parents demand answers about 2 principals who are not returning
Rock Hill parents and teachers are protesting the departures of two school principals they say the district forced out without notice or cause.
A split school board in April voted not to renew the contracts of multiple administrators whom they did not publicly name. Speakers at Tuesday night’s board meeting identified two of those leaders as Dutchman Creek Middle School Principal Clayton Moton and Rock Hill High School Principal Ozzie Ahl.
Dutchman Creek, Rock Hill High and Cherry Park Elementary will all have principal vacancies next school year, according to district spokesperson Laurabree Monday. Rock Hill School District hasn’t confirmed the circumstances surrounding their departures. Board Chair Helena Miller told the audience at Tuesday’s meeting policy precludes the board from responding to public comment.
“Everything is behind closed doors and is very personal. It’s a personal vendetta,” said Julia Khaled, who has children at two schools believed to be losing their principals next year and serves on the school improvement council. “The decisions are not being made based on the success of the students and the teachers.”
Staff member petitions to reinstate Dutchman Creek principal
Nearly 1,300 people have signed a petition since Friday seeking to reinstate Moton.
Dia Gray, a special education assistant at Dutchman Creek, implored the board to change course, saying Moton goes above and beyond in his role.
“We need him,” Gray said. “That’s our leader.”
Speakers portrayed Moton as the heart and soul of the district — a servant leader who puts families and employees above himself. Devin Booker, a sixth grade social studies teacher, said he wouldn’t still be teaching in the district if not for Moton.
Dutchman Creek is considered “average” with a rating of 45 out of 100 points on the South Carolina Department of Education’s annual school report card, which assigns numerical grades for student performance, school climate and other accountability measures. It remains the highest-rated middle school in the district and has improved by 9 points under Moton’s leadership.
The school has also been named a “school to watch” three times during his tenure, which is a national award recognizing a “trajectory toward excellence” in middle schools. It most recently won the award this year.
Moton did not respond to requests for comment by phone or email, but he did show up to Tuesday’s meeting to congratulate several of his students whom the board recognized for their achievements. The audience greeted him with thunderous applause.
“Guys, you got it wrong on this one,” Khaled told the board. “He deserves better. It’s unjust.”
Rock Hill parents, teachers demand transparency and data
Cheryl Ford has known Moton since he started teaching; she’s never known a better leader.
“When I spoke with him on Friday, and he told me what had happened, I literally could not speak,” said Ford, a retiree who taught for 37 years in the district and serves on the school improvement council. “When a principal leaves, the whole school culture changes, and there’s a great culture in that school.”
Those who spoke to the board said they were frustrated by what felt like an emotional decision rather than one rooted in data.
Parent Ryan Stephens, whose son attends Dutchman Creek, said there was no evidence of performance problems. He wished the board had communicated transparently if there were any issues and felt the move was “shrouded in secrecy.”
Heather Giles, a Rock Hill High employee of 29 years, asked how removing Ahl aligns with the board’s priority of making students successful.
And Jason Hunsinger, a Dutchman Creek parent and former teacher who worked under Moton, accused the district of operating without data to measure its decisions. Instead, he said, the board relies on subjective complaints.
“Uncertainty and turnover are a concern for many employees in RH, teachers will look at surrounding districts for more stable leadership,” Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association, said in a written statement about the principal departures. “It’s disappointing to see this type of behavior.”
That’s the case for Ashley Beard, an art teacher at Rock Hill High. Beard said she’s leaving the district at the end of the school year due to a “pattern of overreach” by the board. She’s heading to the Fort Mill School District.
“I think teachers have just lost trust,” Beard said. “Who’s to say that my contract won’t be approved next year?”
Rock Hill school board voted against contract renewals
During the April 29 meeting, a split school board voted on nine administrator contracts that did not identify the employees by name. No contract received unanimous approval.
Multiple administrator contracts were not approved, and the board voted to offer teacher contracts to some of those employees instead. The district has not confirmed whether Moton and Ahl were among the administrators whose contracts weren’t renewed or whether they were offered teaching positions.
In an email to parent Hunsinger, board member Jennifer Hutchinson said one of the votes involved Moton — and she wanted him to stay.
“Although I voted to keep Mr. Moton on as principal of Dutchman Creek, I am happy to join in any conversation that begins because it is a much needed one that hinges on a broader issue with how the Board operates within our powers in this school district,” Hutchinson said in the email shared with The Herald. “I do not have an explanation for why we are removing a good principal like Mr. Moton and although I have heard explanations from the others to their opposing vote, they don’t seem to make sense to me.”
Board member Lacy Daniel said in an email to Hunsinger she recognized Moton’s visible leadership and positive impact but was limited in what information she could share publicly.
Miller said she takes decisions seriously, and the board acts with a focus on the district’s long-term health. She did not elaborate on her vote or how she viewed Moton as a leader, citing confidentiality.
This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 10:49 AM.
