Parents and teachers are demanding D.C. Public Schools reinstate the longtime principal of a highly regarded magnet school, after school system officials announced the principal’s sudden departure earlier this week.

Families at the School Without Walls received a letter from the school system Wednesday that said veteran educator Richard Trogisch would “no longer be serving” as principal of the high school and School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens, an elementary and middle school, effective immediately.

The letter did not provide a reason for why Trogisch left, but sparked speculation that he was fired for questioning the school system’s plans to reopen campuses.

D.C. Public Schools issued a statement that said Trogisch’s departure was related to a “school enrollment anomaly,” but declined to provide more details. The departure was “unrelated to any issues associated with school reopening, health, or safety,” according to the statement.

But Richard Jackson, president of the Council of School Officers, a union that represents principals, said he believes that explanation was merely an excuse to dismiss a principal who was willing to challenge decisions by school system leaders.

Jackson said D.C. school leaders had been “aggressively targeting” the principal for more than a year. He said Trogisch’s “vocal concern” over the city’s reopening plans likely contributed to the decision to fire him.

“It has a chilling effect on the other principals… It just seems retaliatory for him taking a stand,” Jackson said. “He is an outspoken leader and it’s very clear D.C. doesn’t want outspoken leaders.”

Trogisch, who has served as the school’s principal since 2006, was called into a meeting with the school system’s human resources department on Wednesday and told he was fired for violating the school lottery process in the 2019-2020 school year, Jackson said.

Staff members learned Trogisch was no longer the principal in an emergency virtual meeting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, said Melissa Deokaran, a Latin teacher at Francis-Stevens.

The meeting was led by Jerry Jellig, an instructional superintendent, who announced another instructional superintendent, Shawn Stover, would serve as the schools’ interim principal, Deokaran recalled.

Jellig did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In contentious virtual meeting last week, Trogisch and staff members directed questions about school reopenings to Jellig, according to three people who attended the meeting.

During that meeting, Deokaran said Trogisch and staff members shared they do not feel the Francis-Stevens building is safe. Rodents and roaches are common at the school, Deokaran said, and she has experienced issues with the building’s ventilation and heating systems.

“We didn’t feel like we were listened to,” she said. “And then, a week later, this happened.”

Zach Carroll, a sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher, said Trogisch “made clear in that meeting that he had legitimate questions that needed answering around building safety” before he felt comfortable welcoming students and teachers back for in-person learning.

Carroll said several teachers posted messages using the meeting’s chat function to express worries about building safety and the process the school system is using to decide when schools should reopen.

D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee announced earlier this week that up to 21,000 elementary school students could return to physical classrooms in November. About 7,000 students will receive in-person instruction and another 14,000 will receive help with virtual classes from a staff member on campuses.

In a letter to the School Without Walls community, leaders of groups representing parents and teachers called the decision to remove Trogisch “extraordinarily damaging.” The letter was issued by the home and school associations and the local school advisory teams at both schools.

“We suspect this action is in retaliation for Principal Trogisch raising legitimate questions about school reopening on behalf of our children and their teachers,” the letter said. “We will pursue every avenue to ensure that he returns to continue leading our schools.”

Sandra Moscoso, president of the high school’s Home and School Association, said removing Trogisch as principal will further destabilize the school community in the middle of a global health crisis.

“He has been working so hard to keep our communities together, in spite of the distance. I was shocked, ” said Moscoso, the mother of two students. “It feels like a message to principals who are asking questions and pushing back.”