Tuscola principal resigns

Move comes after coach quits amid harassment claims

HANNAH MCLEOD

STAFF WRITER

Just weeks after the resignation of Tuscola’s head football coach, Principal Heather Blackmon has handed in her resignation from the same Haywood County high school.

Superintendent Trevor Putnam announced that he had received Blackmon’s resignation on Monday, Feb. 6. This comes after she had been suspended with pay from her position on Dec. 16.

When an employee is suspended with pay, they may be suspended for up to 90 days. Blackmon had been on sus- conversation was the opportunity for grants. This was a priority for the last couple years but because there were state grants that potentially help fund this it was decided to wait and see.”

Second among the school system’s capital outlay priorities is a traditional middle school. Excluding students at Blue Ridge School, there are 724 middle-grades students in the school system split among four K-8 schools.

The third priority for the school system involves renovations and ADA upgrades to the Smokey Mountain High School stadium property and its concession stand. School administration also brought this project up as a need during a county commission’s budget workshops last year.

The school system previously applied for needs-based grants through the state for the Fairview cafeteria and classrooms; renovations and ADA upgrades to the high school stadium; and Blue Ridge gym and performance space. It did not receive funding for any pension for 52 days as of Feb. 6. She was first hired as Tuscola High School principal in July 2020.

The school system has said it will immediately post the job opening and look both internally and externally for the next person to fill the role. Since Blackmon’s suspension, Assistant Tuscola Principal Jacob Shelton has been serving as lead administrator for the school. He will continue to do so until the position can be filled.

Because this was a personnel issue, the school system could not comment on the nature of the suspension or reasons for the resignation, though the move was related to the suspension of Tuscola’s head football coach Chris Brookshire. Brookshire had been suspended with pay on Dec. 7 and was later suspended without pay on Dec. 16. He resigned his position in January following the revelation that he had been suspended due to allegations of sexual harassment.

Because Blackmon resigned her position after being suspended, North Carolina General Statute does not allow for the specifics of disciplinary action to be made public. For this reason, the public cannot be privy to what went down at the school which resulted in Blackmon’s departure.

“Since this matter was reported in the media, I know our community has had a lot of questions and many have of those projects.

Other projects listed as capital needs include a track on the Jones Street Property, new bus garage on the current site, erosion control at Scotts Creek School, Blue Ridge School gym and performance space, and softball upgrades at Webster. However, according to school administration, if the idea for a traditional middle school can become a reality, erosion control at Scotts Creek and softball upgrades at Webster could be removed from the list of priorities.

“Our boards will collaborate with you all as the board of commissioners, knowing now what our priorities are,” said Ayers. “Now we’re all on the same page about what our public schools desire and priorities are so we can meet the needs of our students.” raised concerns over how this matter was handled,” Putnam said following the suspension of both Tuscola employees and the resignation of Brookshire. “It is important to remember the school system is limited on what information it may release about employees. State law requires most employee information to remain confidential, which makes it difficult for us to answer questions or address concerns about employee issues. While this may be frustrating for some, I hope our community realizes that every employee has a right for the process to finish before judgment is made.”

Jackson commissioners will hold a budget retreat at 10 a.m. on Feb. 21 at the SCC Burrell Building. Additionally, the commission is holding a regular meeting this month at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21, as well as a work session at 1 p.m. Feb. 14.

Blackmon spent time in Haywood County when she was growing up and is the grandchild of the namesake of C.E. Weatherby stadium; her grandmother worked as the librarian at Tuscola for several years. When she was hired with the school system in 2020, Blackmon told The Smoky Mountain News that Haywood County was “home.”

“To have the opportunity to potentially spend the rest of my career here has allowed me to truly ‘live the dream’ that everyone deserves, but few get the chance,” Blackmon told SMN after she was hired. “I intend to enjoy every day of it.

Blackmon was the first woman to work as head principal at Tuscola, something she called “an honor and very meaningful.”