Head of elite Tacoma private school resigns amid claims of toxic work environment
Charles Wright Academy has long enjoyed a reputation as a posh private school with a tight-knit campus community. Now the institution’s leader has resigned amid allegations of a toxic work environment and high turnover rate among staff.
Head of School Susan Rice announced Friday morning that she is stepping down after four years at the school. Rice wrote in a message addressed to the Charles Wright Academy (CWA) community that she made the decision after “deep introspection, consideration and care” for students, employees, families and alumni.
“I feel in my heart that CWA will be better served now by new leadership,” Rice continued, “and the bright future I envisioned when I began my journey here will most certainly become a reality with the guidance of our dedicated board and the thoughtful selection of a new Head.”
Her resignation will take effect Aug. 1.
The shake-up comes after an anonymous email sent May 31 to Charles Wright families detailed a litany of allegations against Rice.
Rice has denied it all, both in a note to the school community and June 10 statement to The News Tribune, which had been looking into the claims.
Rice on Friday forwarded The News Tribune her resignation letter but declined an interview.
What did the anonymous email say?
The May 31 email argued that the reputation of the campus, 7723 Chambers Creek Road W., has been systematically dismantled since Rice took the helm.
The email alleged a mass exodus of faculty. Some staff were purportedly ordered to participate in “unethical” behavior like “spying” on former employees’ social media. The letter also claimed that tuition money is being used to cover the cost of scrubbing the internet of poor reviews, as well as on fines tied to “illegal payroll practices.”
Several additional allegations were laid out in the email, signed: “concerned parents and community members of CWA.”
Rice’s June 10 statement to The News Tribune touched on the accusations.
“Integrity is one of the five values of our fine school. It asks us to apply truth, fairness, responsibility, and authenticity in all our actions,” Rice wrote. “In an anonymous email that was recently sent to our families, claims were made about my leadership and the state of the school. As each of these claims were baseless, inaccurate, or taken completely out of context, I recently addressed this in a letter to our community. “
About Charles Wright Academy
Charles Wright Academy is an elite independent school with a robust liberal-arts focus. It hosts preschool through Grade 12 and an “inclusive community” of more than 530 students, according to its website. Graduates from the academy go on to attend premier universities and colleges.
Tuition for Charles Wright’s beginning school is $24,150 and the upper school costs $32,655, per its website.
This year the academy placed second in a list of Washington’s best private K-12 schools on the review and ranking site Niche, behind Tacoma’s Annie Wright Schools.
Charles Wright boasts small classes and “[a]ctive, experiential, and joyful learning” on a “beautiful 107-acre campus,” per Niche. Its students can learn about world languages, the arts, science, athletics and music.
CWA’s GreatSchools.org reviews
The May 31 email referenced recent “deeply troubling” reviews about CWA on the campus-rating website GreatSchools.org. Multiple teacher reviews alleged a toxic work environment, with one parent writing that the academy “is going through some very rough and scary times.”
Another GreatSchools.org reviewer, claiming to be both a parent and faculty member, stated that the school has suffered since Rice’s tenure began. They wrote that the high turnover rate had sparked confusion and swift changes to “previously longstanding traditions that made the school great.”
“We need a new head of school before the school is irreparably damaged, if it isn’t already,” the review added.
Some of Rice’s critics have claimed déjà vu. She faced similar concerns during her previous role as head of a prestigious California private school.
A 2018 article by the Palm Springs Desert Sun featured interviews with parents and former faculty upset about high attrition, particularly mid-year exits.
Response from Charles Wright Academy’s board
Days ahead of Rice’s resignation from Charles Wright, Board Chair Adam Blakney defended her in a statement to The News Tribune. The statement, made on behalf of the trustees, said that the board was aware of the May 31 anonymous email’s claims.
“We have not found any evidence that these allegations have any merit,” the statement said, adding that the board “unanimously support[s]” her vision and leadership.
On Friday, The News Tribune sent Blakney another request for information about Rice’s departure. He shared a letter from the board to the CWA community but declined to provide additional comment.
The board wrote that it has “reluctantly accepted” Rice’s resignation. It noted her contributions, such as “continued growth in enrollment,” and said that she had exceeded trustees’ expectations in terms of improving the school.
“Susan brought new energy and innovative ideas which has resulted in an exceptional educational experience for our students,” the board’s letter continued. “We are grateful to Susan, and thank her. We wish Susan and the entire Rice family well in their future endeavors.”
Charles Wright Academy’s board is now searching for an interim head of school for the 2024-25 school year. A permanent replacement will take over in 2025-26.
