St. Croix AFT Turmoil Spurs Calls for Special Elections as Union President’s Statements Clash With Constitution on Removal and Spending Rules

ST. CROIX — A wave of anonymous educator complaints against the St. Croix Federation of Teachers leadership has triggered demands for special elections, an internal audit, and immediate reforms, even as union president Tamieka Phillipus rejects allegations of misconduct and insists she is “doing everything by the book.” The grievances, shared with the Consortium as a compilation of educators’ concerns, center on three fronts: return-to-work decisions at John H. Woodson Junior High amid mold complaints; the scope of the president’s appointment powers and removal procedures; and spending approvals, including catering and travel. Phillipus responded in a recorded interview, and a separate educator—also interviewed by the Consortium—rebutted several of her assertions. John H. Woodson Jr. High School mold complaints, make-up time, and CBA safeguards Educators allege the union president “withheld critical mold test results” and aligned with education officials in sending staff back into...