Bethel school superintendent leaving for principal job near Lima

The resignation came as the Bethel schools community in recent months debated transgender student access to restrooms.

In his resignation, Firks alluded to the strain of the controversy.

“Being a superintendent, historically, has been seen as a profession of sacrifice. However, sacrificing health, family, dignity and your professional reputation should not be a part of the job,” he wrote in a letter to the board.

The Bethel board of education has agreed to contract with K12 Consultants to assist in the search for an interim superintendent to begin Aug. 1 and then assist with the search for the longer-term superintendent. The goal would be to have the new superintendent hired later in the 2022-23 school year, the board said.