Lawrence USD 497 school board

With much mystery, Lawrence school board members on Monday accepted the resignation of “an employee who was the subject of (a) pending investigation,” but declined to comment on whether the individual is the South Middle School teacher who has been accused of making racist comments.

Board members unanimously agreed to accept the employee’s resignation, effective at the end of the school year. In the meantime, the board agreed to keep the employee on “administrate leave,” but district officials declined to clarify whether that meant the employee would continue to be paid for the school year.

School board members were panned by audience members for how they handled the incident and were asked to resign by one member of the approximately two-dozen people who filled the board’s meeting room.

“At the end of the day, you all do not serve our children and do not care,” said Caleb Stephens, an organizer with the local chapter of Black Lives Matter. “You need to go.”

Stephens, along with allies of Black Lives Matter and other groups representing diversity concerns, have been vocal attendees of school board meetings since the district’s announcement last month of its investigation into racist comments allegedly made by a South Middle School teacher during class earlier this fall. On Monday, Stephens called the school board’s response to his and others’ concerns “a damn joke.”

A handful of speakers on Monday criticized the school board and its handling of the matter regarding the South Middle School teacher. Others in the crowd frequently snapped their fingers in affirmation when critical comments were made about the district and equity issues.

David Cunningham, head of HR and legal counsel for the district, said that parents would likely be notified of the employee’s resignation sometime Monday night, after the resignation received approval from the school board, or Tuesday, but did not offer further details.

The school board did not respond Monday evening to any of the public’s comments about how the matter was handled. After the meeting, school board president Marcel Harmon did not provide an explanation about why the employee was not named. The board generally publicly identifies staff members who have submitted their resignations. Harmon also said he could not comment on whether the administrative leave was paid or unpaid in this instance, however he said by definition that administrative leave generally involves pay and benefits.

In other business, the board:

• Heard a report on 2016 graduation rates and assessment results from Terry McEwen, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

• Voted unanimously to approve a final draft of input regarding a new school finance framework before submitting that draft to Gov. Sam Brownback. The presentation by Kathy Johnson, the district’s finance director, also received the school board’s approval of a final draft of the Lawrence district’s proposed 2017 legislative priorities.

• Heard a report from associates of architecture firm Gould Evans on the aspirational goals, needs and proposed concepts of tentative renovations and additions to Lawrence’s middle and high schools. The improvements, as part of the district’s 2017 bond issue, will likely be brought to a public vote in May.