Sharon McPhail due in court after being fired, refusing to leave

McPhail refuses to leave her position

DETROIT – Former Detroit City Councilwoman Sharon McPhail is expected in court Tuesday morning after being fired as the chief administrative officer of a Detroit charter school, a job she refuses to leave.

UPDATESharon McPhail fights firing from school in court

Bay Mills Community College, the authorizer for Detroit Community Schools, made the decision. However, McPhail is refusing to leave her position.

McPhail said Bay Mills has no authority to fire her and now it's up to a judge.

McPhail was fired because of  a fight over her superintendent credentials -- a fight that’s been ongoing for two years. Right now, according to Bay Mills, fines over this fight have reached more than $200,000. The school is unable to get financing because of McPhail's credentialing issue.

The Michigan Board of Education says McPhail does not have her administrator certification and the school is not in compliance with the law. Bay Mills Community College let the school know Sept. 25 that it would be revoking DCSs' charter contract.

Bay Mills temporarily suspended the school board and appointed a conservator who fired McPhail. Bay Mills also said they have a temporary restraining order that bars McPhail from the school.

McPhail said there is not a restraining order and that she is not barred from the property.

Questions have also been raised over people McPhail has hired.

Former Judge Sylvia James, who was booted from the bench in Inkster by the Michigan Supreme Court, is the dean of students.

William Coleman, former Detroit public schools head, is in charge of finances. Coleman was pushed out of Detroit public schools and reached a plea deal in 2008 in connection with a bribery scandal in Dallas schools.

READDetroit charter school says it has fired Sharon McPhail


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Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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