Central KY principal who was told he’d be demoted now requesting transfer to teaching

A Central Kentucky principal has agreed to step down to a teaching position, despite a community protest demanding that he continue to lead Woodford County High School.

Morgan Howell’s fight to remain principal began in late April, when Woodford Superintendent Danny Adkins told him he would be demoted. Students and others protested in front of the school in early May, saying Howell should remain as principal.

On Friday, Howell said in a statement that after speaking with four lawyers who all told him that principals don’t win demotion hearings “and coming to terms with the fact it was going to cost me $25K in lawyer fees, I was essentially forced to request a transfer to a teaching position. In return, they rescinded the demotion and the poor evaluation.”

Superintendent Adkins told the Herald-Leader Friday, “I can’t comment on the situation until the attorney allows me to do so.”

Howell said the situation is very unfortunate and he stands by the fact that he has done nothing to warrant a demotion. He said the data speaks for itself — ACT scores, district walk through scores, Impact Survey results and discipline survey results.

“I think the support that has been given to me by staff, students and the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Even if the Superintendent truly thought my performance was poor, do you really move on after a year, considering the high school will now have a fifth principal in six years?,” said Howell.

Howell said he has never had a poor evaluation in 20 years of education or in his 24 years with the Kentucky Army National Guard.

“My record and performance speaks for itself, to include my evaluation with the previous Superintendent who retired last year,” Howell said.

He said it was a privilege to have served as principal at Woodford County High School, “with an incredible staff and fantastic student body.”