Principal Clark faces firing by school board
Controversial leader at Allen High School has 10 days to respond to termination notice after months of leave
Allentown School Board approved the termination of Cheryl Clark, former principal of Allen High School, at Thursday’s meeting, several months after teachers voiced concerns about her leadership.
Though Clark’s name is not listed in the resolution, sources previously confirmed for The Morning Call that she is the employee referenced.
All voting school directors approved Clark’s termination, except for Director Phoebe Harris. Director Lisa Conover abstained from the vote, and Director LaTarsha Brown was absent.
An attorney for the district declined to provide a statement when approached at Thursday’s meeting. When contacted Friday for comment via phone, Clark hung up on a reporter.
Under the resolution, Clark has 10 days from receipt of the termination notice to decide whether she wants a hearing to challenge the firing. If she chooses to have a hearing, Clark can also decide whether it’s public. She would be on leave without pay while the hearing is pending.
The district has not directly provided an update on Clark’s status since an April 2023 statement when she was placed on administrative leave from her former position at Allen.
Clark’s leave followed a 2023 report from The Morning Call detailing teacher concerns with safety and morale at Allen. Teachers cited demeaning behaviors from Clark, a lack of communication about safety incidents, and a growing, unrealistic workload.
Sources who have knowledge of the situation, previously confirmed Clark was subsequently demoted that July to an assistant principal position at Dieruff High School with a salary of $105,000. It is not clear if she ever began working in this position. Personnel reports show Clark on approved unpaid leave from August to November under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Clark served as principal at Allen for less than a year. She was hired in August 2022 by John Stanford, the former superintendent, as the first Black woman to lead the school.
Frank Derrick, the district’s director of recruitment and retention, has served as acting principal at Allen since Clark went on leave in April.
Superintendent Carol Birks previously said Derrick would continue on as acting principal until a search could be conducted for a permanent leader.
Birks said filling the Allen principal role through a search process would become a priority after a permanent principal was selected for Dieruff. The board approved the appointment of Geoffrey Schmidt to the Dieruff role in November, and he is set to start on the job in coming weeks.