Politics & Government

Details Emerge About MRH Principal's Resignation

Dr. Robert Dillon, who worked as principal of Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School, resigned on Wednesday.

Some details about Dr. Robert Dillon's abrupt resignation from the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District (MRH) are beginning to surface.

Dillon, who worked as principal of the middle school, unexpectedly resigned on Wednesday morning. 

The resignation followed a closed meeting of the MRH Board of Education on Tuesday night. A preliminary record from the meeting shows that school board members discussed Dillon's contract during that meeting. 

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The document, which became available to Patch on Thursday afternoon, shows that all six school board members met with Superintendent Karen Hall, Assistant Superintendent Roxanna Mechem and Cindy Ormsby, who works as the district's attorney. 

During the meeting, a motion to renew Dillon's contract failed to gain approval from the board in a 1-5 vote. Nelson Mitten cast the only vote in favor of extension, the document shows. 

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Another motion "for Dr. Dillon to be permitted to resign in lieu of non-renewal" gained approval from the board in a 5-1 vote. Julie Pole cast the only vote against the motion. 

The document remains a draft record of the meeting until the school board is able to vote to approve or amend the meeting minutes. That vote is expected to occur at the board's next meeting on March 21. 

Calls seeking comment from Mitten, Pole and President Maria Langston were not immediately returned on Thursday afternoon. 

Dillon offered very few details in an interview with Patch on Wednesday, and Communications Director Brian Adkisson shared only a brief statement from the district.

The news first became available in an email from Hall to the middle school community around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. 

"As superintendent, I want to assure you that I deeply value each parent’s view on school leadership and I place great emphasis on maintaining a positive learning environment for all of our students and staff," Hall wrote. "Please know that every decision made by the Board of Education and MRH administration are made with the primary goal of doing what is in the best interests of our students and what will help them achieve greater academic successes."


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