Question: Removal of an officer

Recently our Principal requested that our vice president resign during a meeting with said officer. She complied, with reluctance. He has stated that he has had numerous complaints from parents about her and is disruptive in his office. Our bylaws state that removal involves a mandatory vote by its officers; which did not occur; no other members were present during their meeting. Does the principal hold the supreme authority in this matter? Does she have legal rights or recourse?

Asked by lisapm

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Craig writes:
No, the principal doesn't have supreme authority over who your officers are. Your vice president wasn't obligated to resign simply because the principal asked her to. However, as I'm sure she discovered, the principal carries a lot of weight as the person who runs the school and can exert a considerable amount of pressure. If your board wants to turn down the resignation and have the vice president remain in office, you need somebody (probably the president) to mediate. Somebody needs to talk to the principal and find out exactly what the issues are. Then you need to work out a plan that's acceptable to both parties to eliminate those issues. Maybe it means that your vice president takes on different duties that don't bring her to the principal's office (or even the school during the school day) very often. Unless the dispute has become personal or something public and serious has occurred, there at least should be room to talk and, hopefully, compromise. The article Negotiating With the Principal gives some good pointers on how to approach a discussion like this. Good luck, and please let us know how things work out.