The Wiscasset School Committee will hold a closed-door meeting Monday to discuss the future of Wiscasset Middle High School Principal Gina Stevens, who was placed on paid leave last week over the installation of a “hidden” camera monitoring the food pantry at the school.
Wiscasset Middle High School Principal Gina Stevens, hired earlier this year, is on paid leave. The Times Record file photo
The committee’s meeting is at 6 p.m. at the school library. It’s scheduled to hold a non-public executive session then discuss a “personnel matter” in the public portion of the meeting, according to an agenda. The committee will hold its regular meeting the next day at the same time and place.
Stevens said the camera was installed after the school’s food pantry was broken into multiple times.
“I have done nothing wrong,” Stevens said in a statement Nov. 2. “I pride myself on honesty, fairness and integrity, and I wish for this matter to be discussed in an open public forum.”
Superintendent Kim Andersson said she did not approve the installation of the camera, which she called “hidden,” and said it brought up “potential legal implications regarding the rights and safety of students and staff.”
Asked if the public will have a chance to address the committee Monday, Andersson said the committee’s policy does not allow public comment on personnel issues. Asked if the committee will announce a decision about Stevens’ continued employment, she said, “I do not want to explain the process of the … meeting just in case Gina changes her mind and decides to exercise her right to confidentiality.”
Stevens did not respond to a message Thursday seeking comment.
Stevens said during the school district’s investigation into the camera, its lawyer “took the liberty of conducting a separate investigation.”
“This separate event involved student behavior in a bathroom that warranted questioning,” Stevens said. “The reason this second and separate investigation is important, although distinct from the camera investigation, is that it resulted in a second meeting with Ms. Andersson where she questioned my approach to discipline.”
Stevens said she met with Andersson several times and claimed the superintendent was “dismissive … using the term, ‘whatever’ when I tried to reply.”
“I have only done my job appropriately and in line with expected leadership responsibilities,” Stevens said.
A group of 25 school staff members this week wrote a public letter in support of Stevens.
“She has been an invaluable asset in stabilizing and unifying the (Wiscasset Middle High School) community after years of administrative and staff turnover and tumult,” they wrote. “Under her leadership, beginning even under her interim principalship in the spring of 2023, the school has witnessed remarkable progress and positive change. She has worked tirelessly to restore fair discipline, universal but fair accountability, and trust. Her commitment to creating a nurturing, inclusive, and academically stimulating environment for both students and staff has significantly contributed to the school’s turnaround in school culture.”
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