Briarwood parents, students, faculty rally for nonrenewed principal
Hundreds of Briarwood Christian School parents, students, alumni and current and former teachers gathered at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road Sunday afternoon to show support for a principal whose contract was not renewed.
The crowd was there to support Shawn Brower, the principal of Briarwood's Upper School, which serves students in grades 7-12. The leadership at Briarwood Presbyterian Church, which has governing authority over the school, decided not to renew Brower's contract for the 2022-23 school year. He has been principal since 2015 and also is the boys varsity soccer coach.
At the beginning of Sunday's rally, Ashley Werchanowskyj and Amie Beth Shaver read a statement written on behalf of numerous concerned parents of the school that was written prior to a letter sent out by the church on Saturday evening. The parents' letter stated that they are heartbroken at the current state of the school and said what the church claimed as the rationale for not renewing Brower’s contract was untrue, that he did complete and submit the form acknowledging his desire to return to work next year.
The statement went on to say that “a few church leaders have disappointed and deceived our Briarwood family and have made decisions that impact everyone without following the proper protocols and channels that are in place. The school board was not aware of or in support of this decision, and the session was also kept in the dark. This egregious decision has brought to light the lack of transparency, lack of parental input and the overall overreach by a few men in church leadership. Their unfortunate actions and lack of transparency has damaged the trust we place in them.”
Shaver said they were gathered for two reasons. The first is to address and shine a light on the lack of transparency and the abuse of power, she said. The second was because parents send their greatest treasure, their children, along with financial contributions to a school where they have no voice, she said.
Joby O’Brien said one thing that hasn’t been addressed is why Brower is not being brought back.
“Dr. Brower has always been there to protect the students and the faculty and the parents and not only that, but the mission of the school and the church, and that’s what he was there to do," O'Brien said. "He was fighting things and people who were trying to push other agendas, and he was not going to let that happen. And he fought for all of us. Now is our time for us to stand up for the man who has always stood up for us.”
Sophie Hudson worked at Briarwood Christian School for 21 years and said Brower was not just a principal and boss, but a brother.
“We had to deal with some difficult things with kids, and his interest was never in controlling our students, but always in discipling, and there’s such a difference," Hudson said. "His desire to disciple students, to meet them where they are without judgment and criticism, and every decision he made he made with students in mind first. What a gift to know him, to have worked for him, worked with him. Shawn Brower is a man who needs to be free to use his gifts for the glory of God and the body of Christ. We pray for him that he will be wherever he can do that.”
Heather May worked at the school for seven years as a librarian and said working alongside Brower for all these years, she never met anyone who displayed the qualities of Christ-like leadership like he does.
“I had 24 years experience as an educator,” she said. “I never met a man who led a school in the way that he does. He brought unity to a school that was deeply divided a number of years ago. He walked in and graciously brought everyone together. He has a God-given gift for creating community.”
Coach Jeff Young was with Briarwood Christian School for 45 years as the elementary physical education coach and school chaplain before retiring in 2020. He described Brower as a godly man and a leader for what’s right.
“Observing him and being a personal friend and brother, seeing how he loved and led our kids, parents and was always willing to listen,” Young said. “He loved faculty and staff, and every chance he had to do right, he did right. When things were really tough, he didn’t mind stepping up, always humble but strong underneath. When it was time to step up and do right and be a man, he did it. He could’ve easily said, 'I'll just step back and save my job and career,' but he did what was right with the issue at hand, and I admire a man like that.”
An email from Brower was sent out during Sunday's rally and read aloud to the crowd. In it, he stated that a lot had transpired the past week and it was time to give his response. He began by saying he loves Briarwood Christian School in a way that he can’t fully describe and wants what is best for both the school and the church.
Regarding his contract renewal, Brower said it “came as a surprise to me on Jan. 25 as I had every intention of returning to Briarwood based on the submission of my timely response of my intent to return form. It is a decision that has been made, and I’m saddened by this decision.”
He thanked those in the school and community for the support that has been shown to him and his family and said he was overwhelmed by the love and support.
“However, at this time, the Lord has seen fit to lead in a different direction. God is good — always. The school and organization of Briarwood is far bigger than any one person. It has been an honor and a blessing to have been part of it for nearly seven years ... I want the best for the BCS community, the faculty and the staff. I want the school to flourish and the students to continue to learn what it means to be courageous disciples of Christ. It is my prayer and intent to continue serving BCS well as far and long as I am able. Let’s make sure that going forward we make much ado about Jesus and far less about Brower. I am simply one individual that God has used among countless teachers, coaches, parents, youth workers, pastors, etc. to bring about the transformation in the hearts and lives of students. There is much good work that yet needs to be done for students to follow hard after the heart of Christ.”
In a separate response to a question about his current status at the school, Brower said “I am finishing out the school year and the soccer season, and both will be great!”
Shaver said parents still have not received the answers they are seeking.
“Please answer why you did this five days before our [student re-enrollment] contract was to be renewed,” Shaver said. “The bottom line is if respect is expected, then it also has to be given. It's a two-way street. No more behind closed doors, 'Trust us. We are the experts.' That is unacceptable. What we do from here we will be respectful, but we will be firm, and that involves being kind (that doesn’t always mean nice), and kind is standing for what is right. It is standing for the truth, and we have every right as parents and students to ask our questions and get them answered.”
Sally Reiser, a mother to three Briarwood graduates, said she remembers how low things were before Brower arrived in 2015. She said that in a matter of days, the tenor of the whole school changed for the better and that she was shocked and pleasantly surprised and so grateful.
“I’ve had kids at Briarwood since 1995, and unfortunately the way this shook down is about the same song, tenth verse,” Reiser said. “I have gone to the powers that be, the two people that make these decisions. They do not inform the board of decisions like this until after the fact. It’s appalling to me, and I want to know why the board and session can’t do something about how these decisions are made unilaterally with no repercussions. This is how it is, and they know it will be a brouhaha for a little bit, then things will die down, and it will all get brushed over. There is no one you can go to, you’re out of luck; there's no one you can take your issues to. Everyone out here deserves to know why his contract was not renewed when he is so beloved like this. There is a major issue, and there’s a major problem.”
Following Sunday's rally, a letter of apology was e-mailed by Jim Alexander, pastor of the church's board-directed ministries, at 5:46 p.m., extending a “sincere public apology to Dr. Brower “for an inaccurate statement in our previous communication. We stated that Dr. Brower did not submit his intent to return form because we were working from the sheet dated Jan. 14, which was the deadline, and it did not contain his name. We are grateful to learn that Dr. Brower did submit his intent to return form on Jan. 19 when the time was extended due to technological issues encountered in submitting the forms. Dr. Brower and I spoke this evening, and he graciously accepted my humble apology for communicating this information inaccurately.”
Efforts to get more information from Briarwood Presbyterian Church and Briarwood Christian School officials have been unsuccessful.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7:15 and is closed to the public.