MADISON (WKOW) -- The Madison Metropolitan School board met to decide the fate of a principal fired in September at Sennet Middle School.
Principal Jeffrey Copeland was fired after accidentally leaving a voicemail with a job applicant criticizing their qualifications and a language barrier between the two.
Sennett staff who have been pushing for Copeland to be reinstated as principal waited in the hallways of the MMSD office for a little over two hours.
Despite the voicemail, staff and parents have been adamant the last few months that Copeland is the man for the job in Sennett Middle School, saying just a few days into the school year, students and staff alike could feel the difference.
Mika Oriedo is a teacher and parent at Sennett and he says he and his coworkers there were determined to make sure Copeland's side was heard.
"He was very supportive of us," Oriedo said. "As a parent of two Sennett students who felt the change too, my son was in eighth grade and had been there for two years. And he felt that wave come in, that hope and that optimism."
That optimism carried Sennett staff through this fight as Copeland was unanimously reinstated by the MMSD Board of Education.
To celebrate, the teachers gave their boss a call to share the news thanking him and letting him know Sennett students deserve the best, and he is the best.
Copeland will be getting back pay for the time he's missed, minus three weeks as a suspension and a written reprimand.
The MMSD Board of Education released this statement right after their decision was finalized:
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) appreciates and values the feedback provided from our Sennett Middle School community on the future leadership of Sennett Middle School. Tonight’s decision by the MMSD School Board ushers in a time of healing and moving forward.
The passion our families and community have for the success of our scholars and schools is what makes MMSD so strong. Strong relationships among scholars, families, and staff are vital to co-creating learning environments where all scholars have equal opportunity to thrive.
MMSD also recognizes its tremendous responsibility as an educational institution to uphold the right of every student to be educated in an all-inclusive, non-discriminatory and welcoming learning environments, which requires non-discriminatory workplaces for staff. As such, MMSD continues to stand committed to reject the spirit and logic behind any form of discrimination, in alignment with our core values.
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