Richland 2 names interim superintendent after sudden resignation of Baron Davis
The Richland 2 School Board named the district’s chief academic officer as its interim superintendent following Baron Davis’ resignation last week.
The board voted 6-1 to appoint Nancy Gregory to the interim position. Lashonda McFadden was the sole “no” vote. The decision came after more than three hours of executive session, which happens behind closed doors.
Gregory is a veteran educator who has been with Richland 2 since 1980, board member Angela Nash said.
“I think y’all know how much I love Richland 2,” Gregory said Thursday night. She said she’s spent nearly her entire career with the district, working as a classroom teacher, a principal at multiple levels and as an administrator in various roles.
“Thank you for this vote of confidence, and I look forward to getting to work,” she said.
Davis resigned his position Tuesday after a six-hour closed-door meeting of the school board, which met in executive session to discuss Davis’ contract. His resignation was effective immediately Tuesday.
Two weeks prior, the board met in executive session for roughly four hours to discuss Davis’ contract. No action was taken then, though parents and former district leaders speculated at the time that the school board wanted to oust Davis.
James Manning, a former Richland 2 board chair, told The State earlier this month that some board members had been unhappy with Davis for some time. “He held board members accountable for their actions and they did not like that,” Manning said.
Davis had received a contract extension in September, but only after a narrow 4-3 vote of the board. At the time, his contract was renewed until 2026.
The board makeup changed after the November election. Those who voted against extending Davis’s contract — Lindsay Agostini, Monica Scott and Lashonda McFadden — remain on the board. The four who voted in favor of the extension are no longer board members.
Davis, the district’s first Black superintendent, had overseen the 27,000-student district since 2017, succeeding the previous superintendent, Debbie Hamm. At the time, Davis was the district’s assistant superintendent.
Before becoming an administrator, Davis was a principal in Richland 1 and 2 and Orangeburg County schools. A few board members sparred with Davis over school safety and other concerns. In February, Davis asked to limit his contact with board member Lashonda McFadden after he said she “yelled” and “screamed” at him about a student bringing a loaded firearm to a district high school the day prior.
This story was originally published January 19, 2023 at 9:01 PM.
