A Tennessee teacher who was named Teacher of the Year has quit after accusing the school district of directing her to change a failing student’s grade.
Samira Hardcastle, named the 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Antioch, Tenn., submitted her letter of resignation in May after eight years teaching art in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
“District leaders asked me to fabricate grades for a parent who sat in the office for hours until her daughter’s failing grades were changed,” Hardcastle said in an impassioned speech at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
“It creates false entitlement. What happens when these kids lie, cheat and cry their way through school and end up as future doctors, police or politicians? When will you protect the future of our society?” she demanded.
Hardcastle accused the district of allowing that same parent, whom she said had harassed more than 30 teachers, to continue entering school property.
“Teachers have filed police reports and entire schools have had restraining orders against her,” Hardcastle alleged. “Yet she is still allowed onto the property showing up to fill tricks her child didn’t earn and filming other students. When will you stop prioritizing parents’ feelings over the safety of our students?”
The grade dispute began when Hardcastle gave the student a failing mark for not finishing an art project, which prompted the student’s parent to intervene and administrators to tell Hardcastle to change the grade, according to WSMV4.
Hardcastle refused to do so, though the administrators changed it anyway, the outlet reported.
A Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesman said Hardcastle’s claim “does not fully reflect what occurred,” adding that there was “no written schoolwide policy at the time that prohibited the student from being given an opportunity to complete the work” and that the student ultimately finished the project and received a grade.
Hardcastle also raised concerns about teacher vacancies and payroll during her board meeting speech.
“I heard you also mention that we’re closing gaps in teacher vacancies. I want the public to know that many of those are filled with uncertified teachers,” she said.
“HR withheld money from my paycheck and many others. They took $500 from me specifically and it put me behind on my mortgage. And then they sent out an email saying they had to do it to pay other employees. When will you pay teachers what they are owed?” she continued.
Before resigning, Hardcastle was disciplined for what the district called unprofessional communication with a parent and student.
Diana Wills, a former math teacher at John Overton High School, also rejected directives to change failing grades, according to internal emails obtained by WSMV4.
“What is being done is unethical and could very well be interpreted as illegal,” Wills wrote in one email.
Wills was told by administrators she had failed students without first notifying their parents, as required by district policy, according to the emails.
Because of that, she was told to pass the students by giving them a D.
Wills said one student had been given multiple opportunities to retake the exams but never followed through, and pointed out that she spent much of the semester on medical leave.
“You are latching onto a very vague line in the policy so you can cook the books to have the data look the way you need it to,” Wills wrote in another email.
Wills is now suing the district over her suspension.
Nashville Metro Schools said that Wills’ case involved a difference of opinion over district policies and that the grade changes “did not meaningfully affect the student’s final outcome in those courses.”
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