CMS confirms exit of its top lawyer
André Mayes, the district's No. 2 highest-paid employee, to step down Feb. 2
The following article appeared in the January 26, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
CMS’ general counsel is departing next week, board chair says; has been absent from recent board meetings
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and its top lawyer, general counsel André Mayes, are parting ways effective next week.
Mayes has served as the chief legal officer for the past six years, leading the district’s legal department and offering legal advice to the district, board and superintendent. She reports to the school board and is the district’s second-highest-paid employee.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education Chair Stephanie Sneed told The Ledger in an interview on Saturday that Mayes is retiring effective Feb. 2.
Intrigue over Mayes’ status has been building in the past two weeks among people who follow CMS closely, as she did not attend CMS’ most recent regular board meeting on Jan. 13 and was not present at last week’s three-day board retreat, as would be common for a top district official. Mayes’ office was represented instead by Deputy General Counsel Anna Hehenberger.
The board has not publicly discussed Mayes’ employment status, and CMS has not announced her departure. The Ledger asked CMS about Mayes’ status earlier this month. CMS spokespeople did not directly reply but sent The Ledger public records that confirmed Mayes was still employed as general counsel.
On Saturday, at a break on the final day of the CMS board retreat, The Ledger asked Superintendent Crystal Hill who CMS’ general counsel was. She replied: “That’s a great question — that’s a great question for Chair Sneed.”
Sneed said Mayes remains the general counsel until Feb. 2. Asked why Mayes has not been present at recent meetings, she said Mayes is “still in the status of working for CMS but is just transitioning out” and is “not in the office right now.”
She said the district would hire a new general counsel, which she said would be part of a larger effort to examine “how we efficiently use the dollars and get the bang for our buck in our operational systems but still be able to deliver to our public and our community.”
Mayes, who is 65, earns an annual salary of $369,737, according to CMS records.
Asked if Mayes would be receiving any supplemental bonus or had an employment separation agreement, Sneed said: “She decided to retire. She is getting what she is entitled to as a part of retirement.”
The Ledger had previously requested written correspondence between Mayes and the school board regarding her employment status. CMS declined to release those records, saying they are personnel records that are protected from public disclosure under N.C. law.
The Ledger also called several CMS board members on Jan. 15 seeking information about Mayes’ departure. Board member Shamaiye Haynes was the only member who returned the call, but she said she couldn’t comment on personnel matters.
Mayes did not respond to emails and social media direct messages from The Ledger seeking comment. She first started working for CMS in 2008, when she was hired as an associate to the general counsel. —Tony Mecia and Lindsey Banks
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