The move by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) was revealed in a letter to parents on Sunday from Hong Kong International School (HKIS) management, which called the search part of church actions “designed to create distraction and uncertainty around the school”.

LCMS, which co-founded the school in 1966, confirmed with the South China Morning Post that it was now conducting its own search for the next head, saying “leadership uncertainty is disruptive for students and families”.

The recruitment efforts came after the church sued HKIS last September, alleging a breach of an operational agreement and accusing the school of serving only the “rich and privileged few” and amassing excessive financial reserves. The school is operated by Hong Kong International School Association Limited (HKISAL).

“To protect student welfare and ensure a smooth transition, we gave nearly a year’s notice and scheduled the head of school change between school years,” LCMS said.

“Before any litigation, we asked HKISAL to lead the search, but with no process under way and the risks to leadership continuity growing, we acted to begin the search ourselves.