Bloomfield Hills school board votes to remove president following mask controversy

President ousted after board says he didn’t inform them of reporting list naming families being anti-mask to police

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. – The Bloomfield Hill Schools Board of Education released a statement on Monday after voting to remove its board president.

“This was a difficult decision that resulted from a loss of trust in our board president. The action was consistent with our bylaws and procedures. It was not a decision that School Board members came to lightly,” read part of the statement. “We recognize our decision has been supported by some and questioned by others. We recognize there are disagreements and acknowledge divergent views on this matter. We also recognize we cannot let this distract us from our true mission of supporting our students so they can receive a world-class education.”

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Click here to read the full statement.



The statement comes after President Paul Kolin was ousted last month over when he reported a list naming multiple families as being anti-mask. He said someone on the list asked him to intervene and he alerted the superintendent and authorities.

At the time, Kolin said it was his duty to report the list -- called “The Anti Mask List” -- that named 97 district families. It was made by a parent who was identifying families they believed to be against mask use. The families on the list called it a “burn list” and “bullying.”

“The goal is to stop this and stop sending it out on social media things that can be considered a hate crime,” Kolin said last month. “I stand by what I did.”

He was removed from his position after the board said he violated policy by not telling them he went to the police.

Police then began contacting parents who shared the list.

Hundreds of parents and students came together the following day to show support for him.


About the Author:

DeJanay Booth joined WDIV as a web producer in July 2020. She previously worked as a news reporter in New Mexico before moving back to Michigan.