St. Louis Board of Education votes to fire Keisha Scarlett for cause

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) -It's official: Dr. Keisha Scarlett is out as St. Louis Public Schools superintendent.

St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) announced Tuesday the Board of Education of the City of St. Louis held a evidentiary meeting on Monday and at the conclusion of the meeting, the board voted 5-0 with one abstaining to terminate the employment of Scarlett for cause, effective immediately.

Natalie Vowell abstained from voting.

Back in July, Scarlett was placed on "temporary leave of absence" just weeks before the start of the school year. During her time as superintendent, Scarlett faced criticism for hiring more than a dozen people, including the hiring of a communications person who planned to do the job from Houston.

Scarlett also faced criticism for the handling of a still-unresolved bus situation after Missouri Central Bus Company cut ties with the district.

In Scarlett's short time on the job, the district's finances went from a multi-million dollar surplus of $17 million to a deficit of $35 million.

In July, St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education voted to hire an outside firm to conduct an investigation to review the district's operations over the last year.

In September, the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education voted 6-0 to notify Scarlett of its intent to terminate her contract for cause following a meeting with external investigators in a special closed session.

However, Scarlett tapped a provision of her contract allowing her to challenge that decision.

Scarlett was named superintendent of the district on July 1, 2023, succeeding former Superintendent Kelvin Adams, who retired in December 2022. Adams led St. Louis Public Schools for 14 years.

Scarlett originally signed a three-year contract after moving to St. Louis from Seattle to take over the role, with Scarlett earning a yearly salary of $268,000.

Scarlett responds to say she'll sue for wrongful termination. She claims the district denied her access to evidence to prove her innocence.

In a statement, Scarlett's attorney says: "The Board chose to place the blame for long-standing problems at the feet of a Superintendent who was willing to rush into the burning building and try to put out the flames."

The Board of Education named Dr. Millicent Borishade as the district's interim superintendent for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year, pending DESE approval of her certification. Borishade was initially named acting superintendent after Scarlett was placed on "temporary leave of absence."

The district says their investigation is still ongoing, and results will be made available when complete.