Sherman ISD on Wednesday voted unanimously to remove its superintendent, who was suspended after a transgender student was removed from a production of "Oklahoma!"
The Sherman ISD Board of Trustees held a special called meeting to approve a voluntary separation agreement with Superintendent Tyson Bennet, who was suspended March 5 with pay amid a third-party investigation into why the transgender student was stripped from his role in the play.
Deputy Superintendent Thomas O'Neal was named acting superintendent effective immediately.
The board did not make additional comments or approve any additional motions during Wednesday's meeting.
Before he was suspended as superintendent, Bennet was removed from fine arts supervision on Nov. 17 days after reversing a policy change that prevented a transgender high school student from playing a male role in "Oklahoma!”
Sherman High School student Max Hightower was set to star in his first solo role as the male character Ali Hakim when a new school district policy was announced Nov. 3, barring students from playing characters that don’t align with the student’s gender assigned at birth.
Following demands for accountability, the board later voted in favor of a third-party investigation into allegations of wrongdoing by district staff related to theater policy changes.
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