McBain Schools Uses Religion as Criteria for New Superintendent, Causes Controversy

“We have an obligation to implement policies and practices that cannot be viewed as discriminatory in any way.”

Controversy in a rural Northern Michigan school system, caused by a job posting for a new superintendent.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stepped in when they saw the posting requesting a new superintendent with a Christian background.

They immediately contacted McBain Rural Agricultural Schools in Missaukee County about their request.

9&10’s Cody Boyer and Photojournalist Melvin Kimbrough looked further into the posting and have more details.

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“On the school board’s behalf, it was very innocent mistake,” said Michael Harris, current superintendent of McBain Rural Agricultural Schools.

When the job posting came out for the new potential superintendent of McBain schools, word reached the American Civil Liberties Union quickly.

“We got in touch with the school system by writing a letter, explaining that under the constitution and various federal and state laws, a public school system can’t impose a religion test on any employees, in particular the superintendent,” says Dan Korobkin, deputy legal director of the Michigan ACLU.

The post, written by the Michigan Leadership Institute (MLI), stated the new superintendent needed to have a “strong Christian background and philosophy.”

Scott Crosby, the regional director of the MLI, West Central Michigan, wrote the post.

“By 11 o’clock, I had seen it. I responded, writing to the ACLU and said, ‘I made a mistake,'” Crosby said. “I contacted the McBain schools and said I made mistake. McBain never had intended for favor one religion over the other, or any religion over non-religion and in no way was this intended to affect students or teachers or anybody that could become an employee of McBain in some discriminatory manner.”

And the school wants to make it clear: all applicants are welcome.

“We make no apologies for the conservatism that community is known for, but on the same hand, it’s very, very important for us to implement policies that would lead no room for any perceived practices that could be viewed as discriminatory,” Harris said.

The MLI says the schools will have a new superintendent by mid-May.