Memphis district fires Feagins as superintendent, triggering new round of leadership turmoil

A bitterly divided school board voted 6-3 to oust Feagins, approving a resolution that cited allegations of professional misconduct and poor leadership.


Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins engages with students during a visit to Grandview Heights Elementary School in April 2024, soon after she took the job. (Ariel J. Cobbert for Chalkbeat)Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins engages with students during a visit to Grandview Heights Elementary School in April 2024, soon after she took the job. (Ariel J. Cobbert for Chalkbeat)This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters

Marie Feagins was fired on Tuesday January 21 as superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, setting the district back to where it has been repeatedly in recent years: searching for leadership.

A bitterly divided school board voted 6-3 to oust Feagins less than 10 months into her tenure, approving a resolution that cited allegations of professional misconduct and poor leadership.

Feagins, a former Detroit school administrator hired by a previous board to lead Tennessee’s largest school district after a prolonged and problem-plagued search, vehemently denied any wrongdoing. She described herself as a target of “false accusations and political maneuvering.”

Board chair Joyce Dorse Coleman introduced the resolution to fire Feagins and was joined in voting “yes” by members Stephanie Love, Natalie McKinney, Sable Otey, Towanna Murphy, and Keith Williams. Michelle McKissack, Tamarques Porter, and Amber Huett-Garcia voted no.

The board voted to name Roderick Richmond, a longtime district administrator now serving as the district’s transformation officer, as interim superintendent.

In a statement issued later Tuesday night through a public relations firm, Dorse Coleman said Feagins “has not demonstrated the transformational leadership that is critical to the success” of the Memphis district.

“At this pivotal moment, we need a transformational leader who will collaborate effectively with the Board and respect governance protocols, keeping students at the center of every decision,” she said.

The board will hold a news conference at noon Thursday at the district’s central office, the statement said.

According to multiple media reports, Feagins told reporters after Tuesday’s vote that her firing is “exactly the opposite” of what an educational institution stands for. She said many members of the board “chose chaos over children, and it looks like they’ve chosen litigation over leadership.”

She added: “I’ll see them in court.”

Read the full story on Chalkbeat.

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