Board Backs John Elmore’s Decision to Keep Miryah Walters

During consultation with the Executive Committee of the Board, John Elmore successfully advocated for the continuation of Miryah Walters as the Assistant Head of School and Head of Middle School, thereby reversing the earlier announcement of her departure. This decision is extremely disappointing as it effectively endorses behaviors and actions that have been widely criticized.

Despite mounting evidence of administrative misconduct, the Board’s continued portrayal of the school’s response to an assault as ‘responsible and appropriate’ grossly misrepresents the gravity of the situation. In fact, the response was not just inadequate—it fell short of meeting the basic standards of care expected in an educational setting. This steadfast support for the current leadership in the face of significant community backlash undermines the Board’s credibility and raises doubts about their ability to govern.

The feedback we’ve received from commenters on our Facebook page paints a deeply concerning view of the culture and policies at The O’Neal School:

• “I went to O’Neal for a LONG time. I BEGGED my folks for YEARS to send me somewhere else… anywhere else! My siblings did the same.”
• “I wish I would have pressed charges on the kid who bullied my son while he was there. It’s the exact reason we pulled him out of the school.”
• “I have heard stories of this school and things like this happening all of the time there. The more money you have the more your kids can get away with.”

• “This is awful. Sadly, not the first account I’ve heard of an assault being swept under the rug at O’Neal!”
• “Our son was also the victim of an assault at O’Neal without an appropriate response.”
• “Our daughters wanted to leave O’Neal their Freshman year. We did not let them transfer to Pinecrest until their Junior year.  That was a mistake on our part. We should have let them leave O’Neal their Freshman year.”
• “Sadly this is not the first time I have heard something like this about O’Neal. This type of behavior has been going on for years. When my child was little she was bullied, I looked into sending her there as they are supposed to have a zero tolerance for bullying. It was a close family friend that made me aware that it was not the case.”
• “Although I graduated from O’Neal many years ago and still have fond memories, your account does not seem far off from things I experienced and/or I heard of when my child attended.”
• “From what I have been told, this isn’t the first time the school has mishandled this type of [situation]. Is this the “money talks syndrome”?”
• “Had similar experiences with same administrators six years ago. We moved to a public school. Our son was there four years before moving to Union Pines. We have no regrets except we should have left sooner.”
• “And THIS is why I will FOREVER SUPPORT #PUBLICSCHOOLS, and why I am so proud to have been [at] one for fourteen years. [While] there are behavioral issues at all grade levels of all schools, Public Schools are LEGALLY bound to uphold the same rules, regulations, and LAWS as anywhere else in the community. Private schools are permitted to “opt-out” of so many common sense directives, as well as, [change them] to fit their narrative to their advantage, at their discretion. I know that many children attend this school and graduate without incident, therefore providing the family with a false sense of security. [Heed] my grandmom’s advice: If it can happen to someone you know, it can happen to you!”
• “Private schools are not necessarily what they purport to be. There are not the same protections that are afforded to parents, students and teachers who work or attend public schools.”
• “I’m so sorry this happened to your son. Something similar happened to my son at Pinecrest. The school administrators were amazing and the offenders were expelled as well as charged.”
• “The policy of ordering a child victim of serious assault from speaking about it to trusted teachers, friends, or anyone for that matter is a horrible idea. Wonder what a child psychiatrist would think of that idea??”
• “I commend the family for staying vigilant and advocating for their child. As a licensed therapist having worked inpatient psych with children, I’ve met children who were assaulted and bullied by other children which resulted in their own mental impairment and in many cases suicide attempts. It will take more parents to stand firm, speak out and go up the chain of command, knocking down doors when situations like this go unaddressed and clearly minimized. Hats off to you parents.”

The insufficient oversight of John Elmore and Miryah Walters’ leadership significantly increases the risk of ongoing wrongdoing at the school. The Board’s reluctance to confront or even acknowledge these critical issues signals that the status quo will continue. Only through increased action from all of us to push for change can we hope to challenge this complacency and demand accountability.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Community

We are grateful to everyone who has shared their experiences with us. Your stories are invaluable, and we ask that you please continue to send them to us through our website or by emailing us directly at contact@onealschoolwatchdog.org. You can also join the conversation by commenting on our Facebook posts. The quotes mentioned in this article are just a sample of the feedback we’ve received. We are actively investigating additional claims of misconduct reported at The O’Neal School and will continue to inform the community of new developments as soon as they are available for publication.