Jocelyn Pugh-Walker and Brent Mitchell will co-lead the Ferguson-Florissant R-II School District after the school board placed Superintendent Joe Davis on administrative leave because of allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
The two school administrators will be acting co-superintendents while Davis is on leave, pending an investigation into the allegations from two former high school principals.
“While Superintendent Dr. Joseph Davis is on administrative leave, we want you to know that your children remain in the hands of a capable, dedicated team of teachers, staff, and school leaders who are deeply committed to their success,” Pugh-Walker and Mitchell said in a statement.
Former McCluer High School Principal Cedric Gerald and McCluer North High School Principal Frank Williams filed lawsuits against the school district on Dec. 30. They claim the district knew of Davis’ behavior and failed to address their complaints.
They are represented by Lauren Kruskall of Jungle Law.
Williams, who is still employed with the district, alleges that Davis made sexually explicit comments during a non-work-related dinner in 2021 and that Davis touched him inappropriately during a meeting about school operations in March 2023.
The lawsuit said Davis allegedly retaliated against Williams in 2024 by withholding additional resources from McCluer High School as school administrators struggled to deal with student fights.
Williams also alleges Davis placed him on administrative leave in February of that year and later demoted him to assistant principal of a middle school.
The lawsuit filed by Gerald, who left his role in 2023, also alleges that Davis tried to engage in sexually explicit conversations during meetings outside of work. Gerald, who is gay, said he felt targeted by Davis because of his sexual orientation.
A similar instance of retaliation is described in the lawsuit from Gerald in which he alleges that Davis denied his school additional resources in 2021 when school administrators were struggling to curtail student fights.
Gerald eventually took family and medical leave in 2023, citing high stress from his work as principal.
The school board placed Davis on leave during a closed session on Saturday. The board said in a statement that it plans to tap an external party to conduct an independent investigation.
Davis could not be reached for comment.
