After over 28 years of working in the district and three as its superintendent, Lewis is leaving after voluntarily resigning from his post. The trustees accepted his resignation by a five-to-two vote during a special Wednesday meeting.
Before the vote, a handful of trustees and most public commenters praised Lewis’ work as superintendent and shared concerns about what comes next for the district.
After the vote, Lewis battled tears as he thanked district staff for their work and his family for their support that allowed him to serve as superintendent, which he said was the honor of a lifetime.
The resignation comes after Lewis shared concerns about the legal fees charged by the district’s legal counsel and former Republican politician Joey Gilbert. Lewis and recently elected conservative board members also have disagreed over proposed policy changes, including banning transgender students from some bathrooms and sports teams.
About a month ago, the DCSD Board of Trustees declined to approve a mutual separation agreement between Lewis and the district over some trustees’ concerns that Lewis had been coerced into reaching that agreement. At Wednesday’s meeting, Lewis’ lawyer Tom Beko made it clear that Lewis decided to resign by his own volition.
The trustees appointed Jeannie Dwyer, the current executive director of inclusive education, as the acting superintendent.
The photo included in this story is licensed under Wikimedia Commons.
Jose Davila IV is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
