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An online petition has been started demanding that Hancock Public Schools does not renew the contract for High School and Middle School Principal Ezekiel Ohan.
The petition was started by an anonymous person listed only as “Concerned Parent” and accuses Ohan of not doing “half of what the media is stating he does.”
The petitioner also charges that the principal has “taken credit for things his staff has put together” and has “lied to parents, staff and outside organizations.”
Specific examples are not included in the petition language but comments by those who have signed it criticize Ohan for the way he handles his students and staff.
Hancock School Superintendent Kipp Beaudoin said he is aware of the petition but has not had a formal discussion with Ohan and no action is planned at this time.
Beaudoin said, “I think Mr. Ohan has brought about a significant amount of changes and I think with those changes, as with anything, it’s caused areas of friction. I think that’s a fair statement and so the question becomes as we do the evaluation process, those things are certainly part of the evaluation process and it will work its way out through that process.”
Since the petitioner is anonymous, Beaudoin said there is no way to follow up with the individual.
“I worked with young people, certainly, for 30 years, and over the years I’ve had any number of kids circulate petitions and so am I surprised that kids would do this or someone? I’m assuming it’s children. It has all the hallmarks of kids who might be frustrated, I don’t know,” said Beaudoin.
The petition had 260 signatures as of Monday afternoon but there is no way to know how many of those people are actual parents of students in Hancock schools.
Ohan’s contract with the district runs through June 2020.
