A Florida charter school is inexplicably backing an oddly behaving board member over a beloved principal. Board member Jeff Peters of the Choices in Learning Elementary Charter School went to campus during school hours to deliver presents to his children. When the school clerk turned him away Peters engaged in a series of strange behaviors, such as demanding permission to wander the campus solo and began conducting a campaign to dismiss the school's principal.
At the board's Nov. 30 meeting, Mandell resigned, told if she did not she would be fired, according to her attorney. The board voted 3-2 to accept her resignation. The two board members who voted "no" both said the board "failed" and praised Mandell, according to minutes of the meeting.
The morning of that meeting, Peters, who voted to accept Mandell's resignation, texted the four other board members to say, "I want you to know that God is with us we do the work He has called us to do." His message went on to quote the Bible, saying, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
…
At the board's Feb. 22 meeting, Mandell withdrew her resignation, though the board did not act on the withdrawal and is now searching for her replacement, according to an online job posting. Mandell remains in the job for now, however.
Mandell declined to comment and referred questions to her attorney, Robert Mandell.
Robert Mandell, her ex-husband, said board members acted wrongly against her. "Clearly what they're doing is in retaliation for not giving board members special privileges. And they've created a hostile work environment."
