Community members protest suspension of Signal Mountain principal

Tom McCullough

Signal Mountain High School parents, alumni and others in the community are circulating a petition asking Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Rick Smith to lift his suspension of principal Tom McCullough.

The principal announced his intent to retire last week amidst a scandal involving school employees who consumed alcohol while chaperoning a student event. His contract was to end on June 30, but the superintendent has suspended McCullough for the remainder of his tenure.

The petition, which had over 100 signatures this morning, applauds the principal for bringing the International Baccalaureate program to the school and presiding over a student body with test scores in the top 5 percent of state standards and whose seniors had a 100 percent college acceptance rate.

The petition reads: