MITCS approves resignation of principal during board meeting
MIDLAND ― A local charter school has decided to accept its principal's resignation this week after the administrator was suddenly removed from his position earlier this month.
The Midland Innovation and Technology Charter School (MITCS) Board of Trustees unanimously voted to accept the resignations of Principal David Krakoff and his wife, Jenny Krakoff, during a meeting on May 22. The decision came immediately after the board met in a nine-minute executive session to discuss a personnel issue.
As of May 23, the board of trustees had not publicly discussed why they removed Krakoff from his role as principal at MITCS. Parents attempted to ask questions about this during the public comment period, but the board declined to respond during that time. Parents at the meeting criticized the board for this silence, saying they could not reach the board of trustees through official methods.
The Times was first notified of Krakoff's suspension from his position on May 8. Students and staff protested the principal's removal and several students' suspension by walking out of their lunch period and hosting a peaceful protest in front of the school before they returned to class. At the time, the school did not respond to The Times' request for comment on either situation.
Walkout held: Students walk out at MITCS in support of recently fired principal and suspended students
On May 10, a statement on the charter school's website and social media cited a "personnel issue" with Krakoff, which allegedly could not be shared "for the sake of privacy." The post has since been removed without explanation, and no additional details have been shared regarding the cause of Krakoff's removal from his position.
The board meeting following these decisions, which was originally scheduled for May 17, was postponed by the board. Following this delay, the Krakoffs' resignation appeared on the updated agenda for May 22.
The situation at Midland is the second public incident involving Krakoff that ended in his resignation. On July 27, 2018, reporters for Treasure Coast Newspapers shared that an investigation was launched after Krakoff was accused of inappropriately texting another teacher. The incident was determined to be non-actionable by investigators, and they noted that the staff at the school was sharing several unsubstantiated rumors about their coworkers' sex lives.
In this report, the Martin County School District said Krakoff began questioning other teachers about the rumors. He had also filed a sexual harassment complaint, alleging that the false rumors spread about him by staff members had created a hostile work environment. After this investigation, Krakoff was moved to another school within the district, and shortly after, he resigned from teaching there.
More on this incident: Stuart Middle School principal resigned in midst of sexual harassment investigation
Several parents from MITCS came to speak about Krakoff's role at the school. They shared their positive experiences with the principal during his time there and praised the community he helped build for their students. Teachers in attendance also commented on the changed atmosphere, sharing that many now feel uncertain about their school's community.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: MITCS approves resignation of principal during board meeting
