Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Resigns After Complaint

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI — Turnover is coming to the Farmington Public Schools district following an eventful school board meeting Monday night.

Robert Herrera resigned as the district superintendent Monday night, while school board president Pam Green and board vice president Terry Johnson also resigned from their positions.

“While this is not how or the time that I wanted to leave the District, I felt it was necessary to do what was in the best interest of our entire school community,” Herrera said.

Herrera’s resignation comes after he recently filed a complaint against school board member Angie Smith for harassment. Smith had claimed Herrera was racist toward Black students and staff, according to a report by WXYZ. The resignation agreement makes Dr. Herrera’s complaint moot and will no longer be pursued, the district said.

Herrera was selected to serve as Superintendent of Farmington Public Schools in 2019 upon the retirement of George Heitsch. Herrera will continue in his current role through the end of the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, the district said in a statement.

Once the resignation takes effect, Herrera will act in a consulting role for the district through the end of the second semester. He will be paid a severance of $105,000 beginning June 30, 2021, the district said.

“Farmington Public Schools will continue to serve the students and families well in our community; the district has a strong leadership team that will continue to move the district forward," Herrera said.

The school board Monday also passed a resolution censuring Smith, who served as the school board secretary. The board cited "conduct unbecoming a Board member" in its censuring, adding that public comments and posts she made caused disruption to school district meetings and operations.

Green announced she was resigning both from her position as board president and trustee effective Friday. Green said that the dysfunctional behavior of two unnamed board members had interfered with further progress of district initiatives and contributed to health issues, ultimately requiring that she remove herself from the board.

Johnson also resigned his position on the board with about 45 days left on his term effective Saturday. Johnson also cited constant dysfunctional behavior of two board members for his resignation.

The board will decide during the next few weeks how to fill the vacant positions on the board and the process for selecting the district's next superintendent.