In a surprise reversal, the City Schools of Decatur superintendent undid the Friday firing of Susan Riley, beloved high school clerk. The news of her firing had spurred a social media torrent of protest and a planned rally at the school Monday morning.
In a statement Sunday evening, David Dude said, “Over the last two days, some significant accusations have been raised regarding the validity of the investigation, and resulting information, that led to the termination of Mrs. Riley’s employment.”
He promised a third-party review of the investigation. The Decatur school board held an unusual emergency Sunday night meeting behind closed doors to discuss the issue.
Hundreds of students, educators and parents took to Facebook to blast the superintendent over the weekend. Many students shared how Riley was far more than a media clerk; she was a lifeline. “Moving senior year was one of the hardest things I have been through but I couldn’t have done it without Mrs Susan O’Kelley Riley. I can’t tell you how many times I walked in crying to her office about all my bad days and how she would make them better. You are the reason I got through my senior year,” said one student.
The rally will still be held Monday at 7:30 a.m. at the high school, said organizer Sarah Stubbs, a University of Georgia student and Decatur High graduate. “We want to show the world how loved and important Mrs. Riley is to the City Schools of Decatur, as well as our community as a whole,” she said.
To read more about might have led to the decision in the first place, go the AJC Get Schooled blog on MyAJC.com
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