Superintendent Patricia Gardner submitted her resignation from leading the Palmer Public School District, according to an announcement by the Palmer School Committee on Sunday.
Superintendent Patricia Gardner has advised me that she is pursuing another work opportunity and is resigning from the Palmer Public Schools, wrote Bonny Rathbone, chair of the towns school committee, in an email to parents. We wish Ms. Gardner the best in her future endeavors.
Gardner has served as superintendent since the 2017-2018 school year. Her resignation comes after the members of the Palmer Teachers Association signed a letter of no confidence in Gardner and the school committee received complaints about her behavior and treatment towards school district staff and students.
The district is being run with fear and intimidation from central office, members of the PTA wrote. Our schools have become unsafe for students and staff. There are repeated assaults on students and staff with no follow-up from administration.
In a letter to the school board committee, a woman alleges that Gardner has driven out several staff members from the school district due to her behavior, that she owns a gun and has allegedly sent photographs of it to community members and staff, and that she has a history of creating an abusive environment for the staff she worked with.
Palmer Police Chief Christopher Burns said he is not aware of any accusations made about Gardner sending photographs of a gun to community members or staff. He also stated that she is not facing any charges that he is aware of.
Patricia Gardner created a hostile work environment at her last position and she continues her reign of terror on the staff and families of Palmer, a woman wrote to the school committee. There is an ongoing pattern of behavior that needs to stop.
In January 2017, Gardner abruptly resigned from her superintendent position in the Southbridge school district after only six months on the job, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported at the time.
She reportedly left after attempting to blame mistakes made during the administering of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests at the middle school and for a serious account of unprofessional behavior, according to the reporting by the outlet.