Guidance Counselor Delinda Dykes, Fired for Discrimination Against LGBTQ Students, Will Resume Duties at Middle School
Community members greeted Amherst Middle School students on their first day of school with rainbow umbrellas, a bubble machine, smiles and friendly greetings. Photo: Art Keene
District and School Committee Reaffirm Commitment to Student Safety, Belonging, and Respect While Fulfilling Legal Obligations
The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee (RSC) and the district administration announced on November 13, that the District will comply with a judicial ruling requiring the reinstatement of Delinda Dykes to her position as a School Guidance Counselor in the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District. Dykes had been dismissed from Amherst Regional Middle School, following charges that she had discriminated against gay and trans students.
Amherst Regional Middle School (ARMS) staff reported on November 13, that they have been informed that Dykes will return to the Middle School as guidance counselor of the 8th grade. A start date for Dykes has not been announced. Several ARMS parents have reported that they have filed, or intend to file with the district, no contact directives, demanding that Dykes have no contact with their children.
A Superior Court Judge ordered Dykes’ reinstatement on October 31, denying the district’s appeal of an arbitrator’s decision in July, that she had been inappropriately dismissed.
An administrative judge ordered on July 8, 2025 that the Amherst Regional Public Schools (ARPS) immediately reinstate Dykes with back wages, The reinstatement order stated that the district had violated Mass General Law Chapter 71 section 42 which covers dismissal of public school employees.
That dismissal was part of a tumultuous year at the middle school (2023), where charges of extensive bullying of LGBTQIA+ students by both students and staff (see also here and here) were confirmed by subsequent Title IX and non-Title IX investigations that faulted the district for failing to protect students from harm and for protecting perpetrators of that harm. Dykes and colleagues Hector Santos and Tania Cabrera were accused of purposefully misgendering students, failing to support students who were being bullied, refusing to counsel non-binary students, disparaging gay and transgender students, and holding prayer meetings with students in which students were encouraged to abandon their gay/trans identities.
The announcement of the arbitrator’s decision in July was followed by community protest and heart-wrenching testimony before the school committee – recounting the trauma experienced by LGBTQ students in 2023.
The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee has acknowledged that this outcome will evoke strong reactions across the community. The committee emphasized that the district’s compliance with the court’s ruling is a legal obligation, not a discretionary act by the committee or the superintendent.
“We recognize that our students’ identities, safety, and emotional well-being must always remain central to every decision we make,” said the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee. “The Committee remains committed to working in partnership with Superintendent Dr. Herman to ensure that all students are educated in an environment where they feel safe, respected, and supported. We will continue to strengthen district policies and practices that affirm belonging and uphold the highest professional standards.”
Superintendent Dr. E. Xiomara Herman added:“Our focus remains, as always, on our students. Every decision we make must protect their learning environment and affirm their right to feel safe, valued, and respected. As we comply with the court’s ruling, we will continue to strengthen the systems that hold us accountable to those values ensuring that all personnel honor and uplift the diverse identities of our students. This moment reminds us why firming our foundational processes matters: so that equity, integrity, and care are not just ideals, but daily practices across our schools.”
The Regional School Committee and the Superintendent have asked for “the community’s understanding as the district fulfills its legal obligations while remaining unwavering in its mission to serve all students with dignity, compassion.”