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Date: 8/1/2023
AMHERST — Amherst Superintendent Michael Morris has returned to his position after stepping away in May, citing medical reasons.
In a letter to school community members, Morris who returned to his office July 13, made no references to the current Title IX investigation, Assistant Superintendent Doreen Cunningham being placed on a leave of absence or the vote of no confidence by the teachers union stemming from accusations of transphobic and improper actions by three staff members toward LGBTQIA+ students at Amherst Regional Middle School.
The allegations, which included claims of Title IX policy violations, were first detailed in an article in the high school newspaper, The Graphic.
A no-confidence vote in Morris by the Amherst-Pelham Educator’s Association, the union representing staff and educators, quickly followed as did a call for Cunningham’s resignation.
On May 12, Morris announced he would be taking an immediate medical leave. Finance Director Douglas Slaughter was chosen as the acting superintendent and it was Slaughter who placed Cunningham on leave pending the outcome of the Title IX inquiry. The three staff members accused in the initial complaint were also placed on leave.
In the letter announcing his return to return to work, Morris offered his appreciation to many for their work and support during his medical leave. He also thanked the acting superintendent and said, “Dr. Slaughter stepped up at a critical time and has been an outstanding leader of the district over the past two months. His steady approach and creative problem-solving have been precisely what the district needed.”
Morris shared plans to meet with all principals and central office leaders in order to get caught up on what had transpired during his absence.
“I look forward to sharing more information about those preparations and plans with the ARPS community after I hear directly from school and district leaders, well before school reopens in August,” he wrote.