Decatur firing flap shows challenge for small-district school chief

Dr. David Dude, Decatur’s school superintendent, has immersed himself in the community since his arrival from Iowa, showing up at civic events from the State of the City address to a focus group for Decatur’s community action plan. He even marched as “Big Chief” during the Meade Road Mardi Gras parade.

But not until Feb. 26 when he fired Susan Riley, longtime popular media clerk at Decatur High School — an action he quickly rescinded after a strong backlash from teachers, parents and students — did he feel this city’s culture, history, and wrath all rolled into one.

His experience illustrates one of the challenges new school leaders face in small districts, but an expert says it doesn’t appear to signal any lasting threat to Dude’s tenure.