After the abrupt firing of a longtime mental health counselor in Markham’s Prairie-Hills Elementary District 144, community members are petitioning for his reinstatement.

Residents supportive of Eric V. Harwell spoke out against his Feb. 5 termination at a school board meeting Tuesday night. They say Harwell is skilled in responding to school emergencies, such as students who self-harm, have suicidal ideations or experience sexual abuse, and that he trained others as well.

“There is absolutely no one like him,” Prairie-Hills counselor and teacher Tanisha Stewart-Harris said in a news release. “In a situation where parents did not respond well to students receiving counseling, Mr. Harwell was always able to sway them. He made it comfortable for them.”

Harwell worked full-time under contract as a clinical mental health counselor and dedicated behavior interventionist for more than 20 years. He provided Tier 3 interventions, the most intensive form of care for students, working directly with family units to help students succeed academically and emotionally, according to his attorney, Dan Dailey.

Dailey said Wednesday that Harwell was fired on a regular school day without being given reason and quickly escorted from the Prairie-Hills Junior High campus in Markham. Dailey said he plans to file a wrongful termination lawsuit. Some residents said they believe Harwell’s firing is related to recent leadership changes at the district, as Harwell served as a powerful figure as well as a direct support, Dailey said. Superintendent Kinasha Brown was appointed last April and quickly ushered in a new principal of Prairie-Hills Junior High, Matt Sugrue.

“Everyone reports to the counselor,” Dailey said. “Anytime you need to do something, they go to Eric. I think the issue is that they can’t manage effectively when the loyalty to the community is to him.”

Brown, in an email Wednesday, declined to comment on “matters related to contracts or personnel at this time.”

Dailey said Harwell’s absence will create a gap in services for those who need the most immediate care, shown by those who came out to support Harwell Tuesday.

Shacoya Richie, a coach and district guidance counselor, said in the news release she was “hurt and disappointed” by Harwell’s firing. She recounted Harwell serving as a family advocate when one of the athletes she worked with began exhibiting behavioral issues after experiencing a death in the family.

Richie said she feared the student would be kicked out of school for repeatedly fighting other students and disrespecting staff members.

“I didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with my own emotions, let alone a solution for the athlete,” Richie said. “Mr. Harwell has a sense of calm. He’s knowledgeable, empathetic and a genuine person.”

“The impact on the community is devastating, because he’s a pillar,” Dailey said Wednesday. “This is the reason why they are managing emotionally — from the students to the staff to the community. So you just took that mental stability away from people who are already in the highest level of mental trauma.”