AMHERST — Members of the Amherst Pelham Education Association remain divided over whether to offer support to Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman in the face of an ongoing investigation, led by the Regional and Union 26 school committees, into accusations of mismanagement and abusive behavior in the central office.

Coinciding with the start of Tuesday’s joint executive session for the school committee members, which the agenda stated was to either discuss the reputation or character or complaints or charges brought against the superintendent, the APEA Executive Board released a statement that countered one distributed over the weekend by elementary school members of the union contesting the Executive Board’s support for the superintendent.

According to those elementary school members, 84% of those who voted in early February endorsed the statement that holds off on supporting Herman and instead demands the school committees carefully consider the results of interviews and investigations surrounding accusations made about the superintendent’s conduct.

The Executive Board, which last week issued a statement in support of Herman, said on Tuesday that it respects the right of the membership to organize and express opinions on issues that matter to them, but no request had been made for an all-members vote to the APEA Representative Council, made up of those elected by union members.

“Neither the APEA Executive Board nor the Representative Council were informed about the desire to hold a vote about district leadership,” the statement reads. “The representative council did not approve of or hold such a vote; the vote circumvented established democratic processes to ensure fairness, inclusion and confidentiality of all members.”

The earlier statement from the APEA Executive Board indicates it “stands with Dr. Xi in advancing financial transparency and fiscal stability.” That statement didn’t reference any of specific allegations against the superintendent, alluding only to working through any differences and mostly praising the work she is doing.

“Her leadership is crucial in tackling systemic issues such as financial shortfalls, outdated procedures and ensuring full compliance with legal requirements, all of which have hindered progress for years,” the union’s Executive Board said.

The controversy over Herman’s performance began in January when a dozen administrators contended there have been threats of violence, a hostile work environment and mismanagement and workplace harassment under her leadership. The administrators, who have remained anonymous, presented the committees with a four-page document detailing specific examples.

During public comment that followed the executive session, Lamikco Magee, the high school dean of students and a past president of the APEA, characterized the complaints against Herman by the 12 administrators as another case of people “throwing rocks and hiding their hands” and that the rank-and-file members of the union at the elementary schools didn’t take a legitimate vote.

“In reality, this is an attempt by those holding onto white supremacist culture and corruption to circumvent the authority of our duly elected, diverse executive board, and weaponize APEA for their own agenda,” Magee said.

In a similar vein, Georgia Malcolm, who recently stepped aside as president of APEA, said that there has been resistance and hostility toward the new superintendent, with the APEA membership at large now trying to “silence” Herman.

“Let’s be clear: This is not about performance of leadership,” Malcolm said. “This is about power, money and maintaining the status quo where six-figure salaries remain unchecked and oversight remains a threat rather than a necessity.”

Herman, who was not present at the school committee meeting, has previously cited cultural nuances as a reason for the accusations by administrators and called for openness, understanding and dialogue, seeing resistance to change in a community that values diversity.

“In our district, this resistance often surfaces when change looks different from what was traditionally expected,” Herman said. “These underlying dynamics can create barriers to collective growth and hinder the important work of building a stronger, more unified educational system.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gaqzettenet.com.