Following accusations of creating a “hostile” work environment and failing to address safety concerns, John Greenleaf Whittier School Principal Matthew Condon has been moved to an unspecified position at Haverhill High School. Effective Monday, May 13, Supervisor of Science and Technology Kevin Higginbottom will become interim principal until the end of the school year, Haverhill Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Marotta told School Committee members last night. “Myself and the central office staff will continue to have a daily presence at the school as we make further decisions about the bridge to change at J.G. [Whittier],” she said. “We believe that this collaborative approach will allow us to effectively address the challenges we face while maintaining a focus on the success and well-being of our students.”
First hearing of the decision at the meeting, Haverhill Education Association President Barry Davis told WHAV he believes union members support Higginbottom, calling the replacement a “good first step.”
“We’re glad with the work he does as a curriculum director and I believe he will do some good work, so we’re hopeful,” he said. “It’s 22 days, so we’ll see what happens.”
He added, “We wish that this problem was addressed earlier in the year, when it was first brought up, but we are glad something is finally being done.”
According to the union, staff initially reached out to Marotta after a fall 2023 union survey, which WHAV could not verify, revealing most members thought their principals communicated poorly.
