A version of the following article appeared in the Monday, October 5, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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LEDGER IN-DEPTH
Former and current board members say the school board made staffing and departmental changes that left the system with less oversight as questions were beginning to surface
Before finance and contract troubles publicly surfaced last month, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education restructured several offices and made personnel moves that eroded independent accountability, some former board members say. (Ledger file photo)
by Michelle Crouch
In the year before state officials announced investigations into financial irregularities and contracting practices at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, many of the people and offices designed to catch questionable conduct in the district were eliminated or reassigned.
Interviews with current and former board members and board documents show that over the past year, the school board:
Eliminated the chief compliance officer position and dismantled the independent compliance office, which was created in part to investigate allegations of misconduct.
Paid its general counsel $289,000 to leave two years before her contract was up.
Cut the job of a general counsel’s office employee who oversaw board and legal operations, prompting her to file a grievance alleging age discrimination and that then-Chair Stephanie Sneed had overstepped her authority to eliminate the job.
Reassigned its board clerk, who filed a complaint accusing Sneed of harassment, creating a hostile work environment and potential illegal activity regarding contracting.
Paired with the board’s decision to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill on Sept. 22, those changes removed or reassigned every person who directly reported to the board. Five former school board members told The Ledger that each move took them by surprise.
“I watched these things happening, and I would say, ‘I can’t believe the press isn’t freaking out about this,’” said Elyse Dashew, who served from 2015 to 2023, including four years as chair. “Looking back now, it seems kind of ominous.”
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