By james art 
Rhonda Hall has spent her life and career in Accomack County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Her career there began 36 years ago when she took a job as a second-grade teacher at North Akumak Elementary School. From there she became assistant principal, principal and assistant principal.
In June 2023 she was awarded the school district’s top job of Superintendent, making her the first woman and the first black person to hold the position. It seemed like a dream come true. But just 15 months later, the Accomack County School Board abruptly fired her in a 5-4 vote.
Three months later, Hall said, she still doesn’t know why.
“They just told me they wanted to go in a different direction,” she said. “Why didn’t they come to me and say ‘we want to go in a different direction.’ “
Last week, the school board agreed to settle a lawsuit that alleged the group violated several provisions of the state’s Freedom of Information Act when it hastily scheduled the Oct. 23 meeting at the fire hall. The lawsuit was filed in December by a local teacher and three county residents who objected to Hall’s firing and the way it was handled. The lawsuit was filed by Virginia Beach attorney Kevin Martingale, who also represents Hall.
Rhonda Hall became the first woman and the first black person to serve as superintendent of Accomack County Schools when she took the job in June 2023. The school board fired her 15 months later in a 5-4 vote.
The lawsuit said the council failed to provide three days’ notice of the meeting, did not list an address for it and held it in a conference room that was not large enough for members of the public to attend. The Board’s notice also states that this is a “closed special meeting,” although portions of it are open. The lawsuit claims that Hall’s shooting should be self-inflicted because the encounter, when it happened, was illegal.
In its settlement, the Board acknowledged that it violated FOIA law, but argued that the violations were not intentional. The panel also promised to follow the rules in the future and agreed to pay the group’s legal fees.
An attorney for the Council did not respond to a message seeking comment. School board President Janet Martin Turner also did not respond to a message seeking comment.
“When you’re elected, you’re required to familiarize yourself with FOIA,” Martingale said. “It’s against the law if you don’t.”
The board has seen a “political shift” over the past year, Martingale said, with votes usually ending in the same 5-4 score. The attorney said he believes board members who want Hall hastily scheduled the meeting and kept the notice vague because they wanted to avoid backlash.
“Dr. Hall is a popular figure in the neighborhood,” Martingale said. “I think they didn’t want to deal with the blowout they would get if the public knew about it.”
An online petition seeking Hall’s reinstatement has gathered more than 400 signatures, and petitions seeking Martin Turner’s resignation from the Council have also been submitted. Hall hopes to settle the matter of his shooting out of court, but will sue if that doesn’t happen, Martingale said.
In a statement released after Hall’s termination, Martin Turner said the decision was made “after a thorough review and consideration of various factors related to the leadership of our school district. We recognize the importance of an effective leadership team in fostering a positive educational environment for our students and staff. We believe it is in the best interest of the district to move forward with new leadership that aligns with our vision and goals. “
The firing came just weeks after the county sheriff complained to state officials that Hall had failed to cooperate with his department’s investigation into an alleged threat of school violence. He said the superintendent told him he needed to obtain a search warrant and make a written request to obtain the students’ ages, addresses and parents’ names, which his office requested.
Lisa Koons, the state superintendent of public instruction, wrote a letter to Hallchastising it because of the lack of cooperation and the potential harm it could cause.
However, Hall claims school officials have already investigated and determined it was a misunderstanding based on rumors. She wrote in a letter to a local newspaper that the incident began with an argument between two girls at a soccer game. A student who overheard the argument made a comment that the brother of one of the girls was in a gang and might come and shoot up the school, Hall wrote. One of the girls made the same statement to another student, who then told her mother. The mother then reported it to a teacher.
Hall said all people involved were interviewed and it was determined there was no threat.
In an interview Thursday, Hall said student safety has always been her top priority. She had metal detectors installed in all the schools where bags are also checked from everyone entering the building. It also implements a policy that requires two security officers to be in each school, with one stationed at the front entrance of the building throughout the day.
Hall said she didn’t know the board was considering firing her until a few hours before the meeting. Also, she didn’t know that some members were unhappy with her performance.
“It was completely political,” she said. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jane Harper, [email protected]