Interim superintendent named as public comment erupts over superintendent termination
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Summary
After lengthy public comment sharply criticizing the board’s recent termination of Dr. Sharon Birdsong, the Norfolk school board voted to approve a contract for interim superintendent Dr. James M. Pohl.
The Norfolk school board approved a contract for interim superintendent Dr. James M. Pohl on June 18, after a session that included more than a dozen public commenters who criticized the board majority’s recent decision to remove Dr. Sharon Birdsong from the superintendent post.
The board approved the interim contract by roll call. The clerk recorded votes as: Bassin — Aye; Buffalo — Aye; Inge — Aye; Martin — Aye; Lawson — Aye; Thomas — No; Takalajero — Aye. The vote followed public comment in which speakers urged transparency, accountability and community involvement in governance and expressed concerns about the process used to end Dr. Birdsong’s tenure.
Public speakers — including Liz Albert, Cathy O’Hara, Amanda Brockman, Charlotte Smith Worley and others — said the community had been deprived of adequate opportunity to comment on a personnel action and that the termination damaged trust in the board. “The four members who voted to terminate Dr. Birdsong without cause need to be held accountable,” Liz Albert said during public comment. Several speakers described the board’s process as “covert” and “retaliatory.”
Other public commentators urged broader community investment in early‑literacy efforts, expanded family supports and faith‑based and community volunteer programs that partner with schools. Community groups including the Norfolk Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta and the Community Classroom Collaborative described local programs providing scholarships, parent engagement and mentoring and urged continued partnership with the district.
Before the public comment period, the board met in closed session under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for personnel and legal matters. The announced statutory basis for the closed session included subsection 2.2‑3711(A)(1), (A)(2) and (A)(7)–(8) of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, as recited in the motion recorded in the minutes.
Board members did not debate the substance of Dr. Birdsong’s employment actions during the public comment period; after public comment and other business, the board voted to approve the interim superintendent contract for Dr. Pohl.
