Superintendent fired from Casa Grande Union High School District; reasons unclear

CASA GRANDE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - The Casa Grande Union High School District superintendent was fired by the governing board during a special meeting Tuesday night, but the reasons why are unclear. Following an executive session by the board, a motion was made to terminate Dr. Anna Battle’s contract. Chuck Wright, Stephen Hunt, and Steve Hayes voted in favor of firing Dr. Battle, while Kelly Herrington and Taylor Kerby voted against it. Kerby said he found the board’s decision petty, then insinuated that Dr. Battle’s race and sex played a factor.

“I want to say this very clearly. I think if Dr. Battle looked a little more like me and a little less like a woman of color, we would not be sitting here,” he said, followed by using an expletive “f--k no” when voting. Herrington voiced her support of Dr. Battle, saying she was “adamantly against” the vote. “I feel that Dr. Battle has done a lot of things for our district. I fully support her efforts,” she said. Her statements were met with a round of applause by those in attendance.

Battle is now on paid administrative leave until her firing goes into effect in March. Multiple people were seen leaving after the decision was handed down, while others asked why. Board members didn’t answer and soon adjourned the meeting, which lasted only about four minutes. Some attendees could be heard saying the decision was “sick” and “horrible,” while one person said the board was jeopardizing the district.

Battle had been serving as the district superintendent for just under two years. She previously served as head of schools at ASU Preparatory Academy and spent 33 years working in the Tempe Union High School District. She’s also been nominated for 11 awards from the NAACP, the 100 Black Men Educator’s Achievement Award and more.

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