Did Pressure From a City Council Member Lead to a Theater Teacher’s Resignation? — OnStage Blog, Theater News

by Chris Peterson

Families are continuing to ask questions after the resignation of Melissa Gould, the longtime theatre director at New Albany Middle School in Ohio.

According to reports, Gould resigned on May 8 after leading the middle school theater program for nine years. The school’s theatre department page listed Gould as director and choreographer and said she has taught for more than 40 years.

The situation has drawn public attention because some parents and community members allege Gould did not simply choose to leave, but was forced to resign after complaints were made to district officials. Those claims apparently came from Andrea Wiltrout, a New Albany City Council member who also has children in the district.

On June 16, attorney Greg Vincent addressed the New Albany City Council on behalf of hundreds of parents, students, alumni, and community members. Vincent said the city needed to ensure transparency around decisions that affected students, families, volunteers, and the broader community. He also raised the question of whether certain complaints were given more weight than the voices of those who supported the theatre program.

The district has not publicly released a full explanation of the personnel decision. NBC4 reported that New Albany-Plain Local Schools said it does not comment on personnel matters, but that the situation is being investigated by the board.

One issue reported in Gould’s personnel file involved a March 2026 reprimand connected to a field trip to Atlanta.

According to records obtained by The Dispatch, Gould was reprimanded for failing to contact the parent of a student who was upset over a text message from another student during the trip. The record raises additional questions about what happened on the field trip, what communication was expected afterward, and whether that reprimand played any role in the later meeting that preceded Gould’s resignation.

The reporting also states that Gould was instructed in late April to meet with administrators on May 1 to discuss her job duties, including professional communication, program expenditures, and use of equipment and supplies. The letter reportedly warned that disciplinary action, up to and including termination, could result from the meeting. However, the records reviewed did not make clear what prompted that meeting.

Wiltrout, in a reported statement, said she had concerns about behavior she witnessed involving Gould and reported them through the appropriate channels as a district parent. The statement did not specify what those behaviors were. Parents supporting Gould have questioned whether Wiltrout’s position as an elected official affected how the complaints were handled.

Public support for Gould has also continued online. A Change.org petition calling for her reinstatement says she was unjustly removed and urges the school administration and relevant authorities to review the situation. As of the petition page reviewed, it had 415 verified signatures.

For now, the issue remains unresolved publicly. Was Gould’s resignation the result of a standard personnel process? Did complaints from a parent who also serves on City Council influence the outcome?

Those are the questions families are continuing to ask as they wait for more information from the district and school board.