New Amherst Superintendent Reaffirms Agenda After Anonymous Complaint

Dr. E. Xiomara Herman took control of the Amherst Regional Public School District amidst ongoing legal issues — the previous superintendent resigned in the wake of the district’s mistreatment of LGBTQ students, which has led to multi-million dollar lawsuits and a Title IX investigation.

In her first 100 days as superintendent, the Virgin Islands native has prioritized student safety and wellbeing, healing and stabilizing the district, and data-driven studies. And as the district faces millions of dollars in budget cuts, Herman has proposed merging secondary schools and consolidating district roles.

Although her start has been relatively smooth, members of the school board received an anonymous complaint about Herman earlier this month. The letter contained vague allegations of misconduct and disclosed a district staff member’s address and social security number.

In a press release, Herman said: “It’s disheartening that an anonymous letter would misuse confidential information to target an individual and distract from our collective goals. This behavior is not acceptable, and it will not be tolerated.”

“We acknowledge that change can be uncomfortable, but there are ways to address concerns that are transparent, accountable, and that aim to improve rather than destroy,” the committee members wrote in a Nov. 12 statement. “The school committees give full support to Dr. Herman and her leadership and vision. This kind of personal and unsubstantiated attack has no place in the districts or the region, or anywhere.”

At the Nov. 12 school board meeting, the school committee debated the wording of the statement before releasing it. Some were skeptical about including the phrase “full support,” as they said unconditional endorsements of superintendents’ behavior had been dangerous in the past. In response, Herman said that she wanted to be held accountable for her actions, but not for those of the previous superintendent or board.

“I’m open to those conversations. What I’m not open to is the fact that I have to then prove my work because of what someone else did,” Herman said at the meeting.

The board ended up using the wording “full support,” as they agreed that there was nothing Herman had done that would merit anything less.

Some members also felt hesitant about embracing anonymous complaints, while others did not want to discourage the community from reaching out. Ultimately, the board agreed to send a follow-up statement providing legitimate avenues for individuals to voice their concerns.

Herman used the letter as an opportunity to reinforce her values of transparency and advocacy.

In an interview with The Student, Herman said that she came to Amherst because “The children needed an advocate in this district. They needed someone who would fight for them, would push against the norms, just to make sure they got what they needed and their voices were heard.”

Herman said there is unaddressed hurt in the district due to the past year’s controversies, which is why she’s made it a goal to be as transparent as possible and meet regularly with the community.

“I have an open-door policy. I’ve never not met with anyone,” Herman said at the Nov. 12 meeting. “I get about 200 emails a day, but I always circle back and respond … in an effort to make sure that the children can prosper, that the system we have is one where children benefit.”