Former St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Keisha Scarlett alleges wrongful termination after board fired her for cause

Legal claims emerge as district oversight and spending scrutiny intensify

Former Saint Louis Public Schools Superintendent Keisha Scarlett has alleged she was wrongfully terminated and has characterized her performance as exemplary, escalating an already high-profile leadership dispute that unfolded amid audits and investigations into district spending and governance practices.

Scarlett’s employment with the district began on July 1, 2023, and ended on October 14, 2024, when the Board of Education terminated her three-year contract “for cause” following a board process that included an evidentiary hearing. She had been placed on paid temporary leave on July 25, 2024, and the board later voted to end her employment after she appealed an earlier termination vote.

Scarlett has disputed the basis for a for-cause termination and has asserted that the board’s handling of the termination process denied her contractually promised procedural protections. Among the allegations made publicly at the time of her termination were claims that she did not attend the hearing as a form of protest after restrictions were imposed that she said limited her ability to gather witnesses and access records necessary for her defense.

The board’s actions followed management-assessment findings that raised concerns about credit card charges, travel expenditures, and hiring and compensation practices during Scarlett’s tenure. The assessment described limited oversight of the superintendent role as a factor that can allow policy violations to go undetected or unreported. Scarlett’s representatives publicly challenged the assessment’s independence and reliability, saying she was not interviewed and was not provided an opportunity to respond during the review process.

• District leaders faced questions about certain categories of spending and travel reimbursements, including expenses where board approval requirements were disputed.
• The assessment also identified concerns about pay practices, including retroactive payments and salary adjustments affecting senior roles.
• Vendor selection and contracting practices were also reviewed, including whether required approvals were obtained in specific cases.

State-level scrutiny continued after Scarlett’s departure. A state audit focused on procurement, hiring and budgetary practices, describing a period of significant management concerns and criticizing both administrative actions and the board’s oversight responsibilities. The audit reported it did not identify criminal conduct. The state auditor’s report also noted that some issues predated Scarlett’s tenure, while still attributing key decisions to district leadership during the period reviewed.

In disputes of this kind, the central factual questions typically include what contract provisions required, what procedures were followed, and whether stated reasons for termination were consistently documented and supported.

After Scarlett’s removal, Millicent Borishade—who had been appointed interim superintendent on July 25, 2024—was appointed superintendent by the board on February 18, 2025. The district has since moved forward with corrective actions and policy changes recommended in the management assessment and subsequent oversight reviews.

Any wrongful-termination claim would be resolved through court proceedings, where filings, testimony, and documentary evidence will determine whether the board’s stated grounds and procedures met contractual and legal standards.