‘Never my intent to disgrace, embarrass.’ Lexington principal apologizes for COVID-19 post
The principal of Lexington’s Winburn Middle school told families Thursday that he understood why they had reservations about him following a personal Facebook post that appeared dismissive of the COVID-19 pandemic, but promised that he was committed to the school.
Mike Hale, who had already made a public apology after the post went viral on Nov. 6, said in an email that he would work “tirelessly” to keep the school safe in the pandemic and “relentlessly” to bring excellence to Winburn.
“I am writing today to apologize for a recent social media post I made,” Hale said in email to families. “It is an honor for me to serve as principal at Winburn Middle School and my goal is always to lift up our school, our staff, our students and the families we serve. “
“It was never my intent to disgrace, embarrass or bring negative attention to Winburn Middle or FCPS. I understand the gravity of my comments and plan on working relentlessly to make WMS a school of excellence,” said Hale.
In the social media post Hale said: “One good thing from the election is that COVID cases should rapidly dissipate after January since we can’t blame Trump any longer. BUT, don’t complain when gas prices soar to $8.00 per gallon, health insurance premiums are unaffordable, payroll taxes hit an all time high, unemployment numbers skyrocket, energy costs are beyond belief and first responders are considered enemies.
“At least we can rest at night knowing only the major cities in this great union controls the country - I know that makes me feel better!
“Good luck America!”
Fayette Superintendent Manny Caulk said November 6 that while he couldn’t comment on personnel matters, “I can confirm that we are aware of the social media post and investigating the incident. I also want to assure our community that posts by individual employees do not reflect the views of our school district.”
Caulk also noted the September death of Ruthie Martinez, a permanent substitute teacher at Winburn. Her death has been attributed to COVID-19.
Hale said in the Thursday email to families: “I understand why the comments I made in the post have led some stakeholders to have reservations regarding the dedication to implement and adhere to the safety procedures and protocols for staff and students related to a possible return to in-person learning in January.”
Winburn Middle School in collaboration with Fayette County schools and the Lexington-Fayette County health department, “has worked tirelessly to ensure all COVID guidelines at Winburn are in alignment with their recommendations.”
“All staff currently working on campus, including any FCPS employee or contractor that visits the building, are required to use a predetermined single entrance, answer the medical screening questionnaire, take their temperature and sign in daily for contact tracing purposes,” Hale said.
“Strict guidelines for mask wearing, social distancing, limiting the number of employees allowed in a common space and detailed cleaning protocols are examples of the universal safety precautions used to combat the spread of the potentially deadly virus.”
At Winburn, 36.6 percent of students are Black and 36.6 percent are Hispanic or Latino. 20.2 percent are white and 6.6 percent are categorized as other. 75.9 percent of students are economically disadvantaged.
“I commit to working in partnership with school, district and community leadership to continue to gain knowledge and perspective of all individuals I serve,” Hale said in the Thursday email to families.
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 3:32 PM.