School board recall attempt hits roadblock

The recall effort against Hamtramck School Boardmember Regan Watson has failed, but there is still time to try again.

By Charles Sercombe
The effort to recall Hamtramck School Boardmember Regan Watson has come to a sudden halt.
The Wayne County Clerk’s Office rejected the circulation petitions that were submitted to get the go-ahead for an election.
In a letter to Hemyar Al-Jamali, who is behind the recount, the clerk’s office deemed the petitions “insufficient” because of the “recall language not being identical to what was approved by the Wayne County Election Commission.”
The county also said that “there are several recall petition signatures that are called into question for their genuineness and the validity of the signature of the signer.”
This initial rejection doesn’t mean the recall effort won’t eventually go forward. Al-Jamali was reminded that he has 180 days from the day the recall language was approved to submit new circulation petitions.
The Review reached out to Al-Jamali and Watson for comment but neither responded.
Watson is being targeted for the following reasons:
• Failing to attend board meetings since May of 2023
• Failing to respond to emails, certified mail and phone calls from boardmembers
• Being censured in February 2024 for failing to attend meetings and for deliberate dereliction of duties

According to the school district’s records, prior to last December’s meeting, Watson had not attended a meeting since March of 2023. That was a month after a majority of board members voted to remove her as board treasurer, a position she previously held.
The reasons for her removal as treasurer in 2023, which occurred just a month after her being reappointed as treasurer by the board, was not entirely clear.
As for Watson’s absences, the board of education does not have an attendance policy for board members.
Also, according to district records, there is no record of Watson receiving a monthly financial stipend.
Watson recently returned to the board for meetings, perhaps since former School Board President Jihan Aiyash was not re-elected to office.
According to sources, Watson boycotted the board meetings because of the treatment she had received from Aiyash.
Watson’s term expires at the end of 2026. According to state law, elected officials cannot be recalled in the last year of their term.
Posted Feb. 14, 2025
(This article has been updated for clarity.)