By Denise Smith Amos and Jennifer Mrozowski
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PLEASANT RIDGE - About 150 parents and children braved freezing temperatures to cheer outside Nativity School after it was announced Monday afternoon that the school's fired principal, Robert Herring, would get his job back.

Nancy Mitchell, a mother with two children in the school, expresses her pleasure with the return of Herring. (Michael E. Keating photo)

Herring, who has led the K-8 Catholic school for 19 years, was fired Nov. 24 by the parish pastor, the Rev. Marc Sherlock, over unspecified "philosophical differences."

Since then, droves of parents wrote letters of complaint and spoke with Archdiocese of Cincinnati officials in an effort to have Herring reinstated.

Herring, reached by phone Monday evening, struggled with emotion while describing how he felt.

"It's overwhelming. Unbelievable," he said. "What more could I ever ask for?"

It is still unclear what prompted Sherlock to fire Herring, and what occurred during a five-hour mediation session Monday that ended with Herring's reinstatement.

Herring refused to discuss specifics. Sherlock did not return calls for comment.

But within 90 minutes of the announcement being posted on an archdiocese Web site about 3 p.m., dozens of parents drove to the school.

Caroline Kull, 11, carried a sign she made that read, "God Bless us, one and all."

The sixth-grader said she missed her principal.

"He really respects us kids and our ideas,'' she said. Herring and Sherlock are scheduled to meet with parents and parishioners at 7 p.m. today at the church, 5936 Ridge Ave.

Herring's first day back to school will be Wednesday.

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E-mail jmrozowski@enquirer.com and damos@enquirer.com