Unit 4 parents, community leaders speak out in support of Booker T. Washington's administration

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Parents and community leaders showed their support Thursday night at Booker T. Washington in Champaign following previous calls to remove or transfer both Principal Jaime Roundtree and Assistant Principal Rebecca Ramey.

This comes after a shooting near Booker T. Washington Elementary in September 2023 in which the school's principal and assistant shared concerns about how the district responded. Now, parents say they are being penalized for speaking out.

Last week, parents and students showed their support for both.

Thursday night, the school's Parent Teacher Association held a meeting. They hope to bring the school together to show support for administrators.

One parent, Kris Elwell, said, "I think that our kids will be heartbroken, honestly. I think that they love Mr. Roundtree and Ms. Ramey as much as they feel love from them, and so it would be a really sad day for Booker T. if our beloved administration wasn't there."

Another parent, Angelique Taylor, told WAND News, "They are like family, because they treat our kids like family. They know our kids, and for them to just throw them to the side that they want for whatever reason unbeknownst to us as to why they want to take them away, is heartbreaking."

A Unit 4 spokesperson for the District said they will not comment on personnel matters, but they are cautioning families to not be influenced by "rumors circulating on social media."