Oxford school board president resigns 2 years before term expires
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Oxford Community Schools Board of Education President Tom Donnelly resigned on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022.
The president of Oxford Community Schools’ embattled school board resigned on Wednesday, less than a year after a shooting in the hallways of the district’s high school killed four students and left six students and a teacher injured.
Tom Donnelly’s term was set to expire in 2024. Ken Weaver, Oxford’s superintendent, announced the resignation on Wednesday in an email message to parents. Weaver’s message did not specify why Donnelly is leaving two years before his term is up. He was not immediately available for comment.
MORE: Oxford Schools board reverses course, hires firm for independent review
“This afternoon, September 14, School Board President Tom Donnelly announced that he is resigning from the Oxford Community Schools Board effective today,” Weaver wrote. “We are very appreciative to Mr. Donnelly for his years of dedicated service. We will communicate further information in regards to the open school board position as it becomes available.”
In the spring, Donnelly, who was elected to the board in 2020, presided over numerous emotional school board meetings, listening to outrage from both students and parents calling for more accountability surrounding the shooting. They specifically sought an immediate third-party review of what happened on Nov. 30, 2021, the day of the shooting, and the weeks before.
The seven-member board initially said a review would not occur until all legal action related to the shooting was resolved, which would take years. But after an outcry from families — and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel weighed in — the board voted to hire a firm for the review. Members are elected to serve four- or six-year terms on the board.
According to his LinkedIn page, Donnelly works for a metals corporation and is a pastor at Firmly Rooted Ministries, based in Oxford.
Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford school board president resigns 2 years before term expires