UPDATE: An updated version of the West Virginia Board of Education’s report clarified that it was told that records had been destroyed, which turned out not to be true.
SUMMERSVILLE WV, (WOAY) – The West Virginia Board of Education has issued an immediate intervention of Nicholas County schools and is immediately vacating the position of superintendent and assistant superintendent.
It comes after significant parent outcry about the hiring of a registered sex offender as a summer custodian, failing leadership, and allegations of sexual misconduct by a student at Summersville Middle School.
Newswatch first reported these allegations on air on March 24. The West Virginia Board of Education launched its own review of those three issues on April 14.
At the conclusion of that review, the state Board of Education issued an immediate intervention, removing both Superintendent Terrance Beam and Assistant Superintendent Kelli Whytsell, based on the major problems it identified.
A Nicholas County Board of Education document indicates that Whytsell intended to retire in June.
The state’s review went in-depth into the Nicholas County school system’s decision to hire Devin Amick, a registered sex offender. Amick is the grandson of now-former Superintendent Terrance Beam.
Nicholas County schools had initially said in a social media post that Beam did not know of Amick’s plea agreement or registration as a sex offender.
After receiving that statement, Newswatch reporter Caleb Pearl obtained a copy of Amick’s job application and included it in a story that ran on April 15.
Amick’s application disclosed that he had been charged with possession of child erotica in 2017.
We learned additional information about Beam’s alleged knowledge of Amick’s criminal history in the state Board of Education’s review. According to the review, Beam knew that there would be something found on Amick’s background check.
“The assistant superintendent, who serves as the personnel director, stated that a background check was completed at the time of his employment and recalled a conversation in which the superintendent said to her, ‘Something is going to come back on that background check. I don’t want to know what it is.’ The assistant superintendent stated the background check indicated charges had been dismissed,” the state’s review said.
The review said Beam told a state board of education interviewer that he knew Amick had been fired from a local fire department because of an “inappropriate interaction with an underage child.”
Nicholas County Board President Chip Perrine was listed as a reference on Amick’s application.
The review revealed two examples of a relative of the superintendent being hired even though they failed to meet qualifications. One was hired as a cook after serving as a substitute. She was promoted to full-time cook, and then to cafeteria manager. The state board found that she was not the most qualified applicant.
“Records requested during the review indicated this individual was not the most qualified candidate for some of these positions. However, it was unclear whether the more senior applicants had declined the position, making her eligible to accept the position,” the review said.
The second relative hired was a teacher who did not have appropriate certification.
“In February 2025, the WVDE Office of Certification received an email from the assistant superintendent requesting a waiver for this individual, which would allow her to access a learning platform. The assistant superintendent indicated in that email that the teacher was planning to take the Praxis exam to gain certification for the position. At the time of this report, no application for a permit has been submitted to the WVDE,” the review said.
The review outlined additional serious issues related to background checks. It stated that background checks had not been done for teachers transferring from other counties, and a teacher with a serious disciplinary action against them in another county had been hired.
A private investigator is responsible for conducting parent volunteer background checks, according to the report. The review found examples of parent volunteers with criminal backgrounds being approved as parent volunteers.
The state board was also told that a previous personnel director had destroyed certain personnel records. However, that turned out not to be true.
“When the team requested certain employment records, a member of the central office staff responded that the previous personnel director had destroyed all files and records when she left her position. However, the review team confirmed that personnel records were retained and shared in digital format,” the report reads.
Notably, the review did not find any major issues at Summersville Middle School. Parents have raised significant community outrage over allegations of sexual misconduct by a student.
However, an independent investigator compiled a 40-page report that was considered to be credible and thorough. That report includes interviews with Summersville Middle School personnel, students, and parents, and features evidence that includes documents and video footage.
The investigator concluded that school officials did respond appropriately to all documented complaints of sexual misconduct, and most of the public outcry is centered around what the review described as community gossip and rumors on social media.
Still, the state board of education decided to remove Superintendent Terrance Beam and Assistant Superintendent Kelli Whytsell based on the other major problems it identified.
State Superintendent Michelle Blatt appointed Terry George as superintendent. George retired as Fayette County Superintendent in 2020 after a five-year tenure. At the time, he said he was resigning due to family reasons.
You can read the full report here:
37465 Nicholas County Schools Special Circumstance Review