PALMETTO, Fla. — A day after the school board voted 4-1 to retake control of Lincoln Memorial Academy, its embattled former principal has vowed to fight back.

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After hours of discussion Tuesday, board members voted 4-1 to regain control of Lincoln Memorial Academy. They cited problems with the school’s leadership and a looming $250,000 deficit. 

Soon after, former principal Eddie Hundley announced plans to fight the decision.

He sent this statement to Spectrum Bay News 9: 

“The latest actions taken by the Manatee County School Board are another example of the unjust, unfair and overreaching acts against Lincoln Memorial Academy and the community it serves. The Board and Founder / CEO are retaining legal counsel to appeal this latest effort to distract and mislead the public.

We are confident the school and community will be made whole again. We thank the community for the undeniably overwhelming show of support at the board meeting. It was the will and desire of the community to convert the school, and will be that very thing that pushes through the current obstacles to maintain it!” 

During Tuesday night’s school board meeting, dozens of people voiced their support for Lincoln Memorial Academy and their staff members. Despite the hours-long discussion riddled with outbursts from those attending, board members voted to terminate Lincoln’s charter. 

"We just saw the attitude that came from the school board. It almost appeared as if they did not want to hear what the people had to say,” said grandparent Arthur Huggins. 

The district will be assuming control of Lincoln’s operations and appoint a new interim principal and board of directors. They also plan to conduct a forensic audit of its finances.

The change also barred Hundley and his board members from school grounds. 

"This is immediate termination and under Florida statute, that means today,” said Mitchell Teitelbaum, General Counsel for the school district. "That means technically their prior management, the principal and the governance, is changed effective today.”

The school has 10 days to appeal, which would prompt a review by the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings.