Lisa Phelps and April Gillespie asserted last week, without evidence, that School Board attorneys are looking for reasons to fire Mark Taylor.
Spotsylvania School Board member April Gillespie alleged at a work session last week that the school division’s attorneys are still looking for cause for terminating former superintendent Mark Taylor’s contract.
In response to a question from the Advance about their charge, Rene Daniels said today that is not the case.
Taylor was terminated with cause in March. As the Advance reported, he waived the School Board’s offer of a hearing into the cause.
Gillespie, who represents the Berkeley district on the School Board, and Lee Hill representative Lisa Phelps did not attend the March 12 closed session at which the Board voted to proceed with the dismissal of the superintendent with cause.
At last week’s work session, the two board members said they still don’t know why Taylor was terminated.
Daniels told the Advance that closed session information cannot be discussed outside of closed session.
“The practice is for School Board members to contact the School Board Chair directly regarding missing a closed session,” she wrote in an email.
The Advance asked Chair Lorita Daniels whether Phelps or Gillespie reached out to her regarding the March 12 closed session they did not attend.
Daniels did not directly answer that question, citing her responsibility not to divulge closed session information, but said in a text message that, “Board members who missed a closed session and want to know what was discussed should request a meeting with the Board chair to arrange a non-public 1-on-1 meeting with me and legal counsel to obtain the information.”
She said that her role is to “encourage Board members to attend closed sessions and Board meetings.”
“If a Board member decides to miss or walk out on the meeting or closed session, that is not something I can control,” Daniels said.
The Board at last week’s work session approved a motion allowing members to view Taylor’s personnel file with interim superintendent Kelly Guempel.
Rene Daniels told the Advance that Board members have the authority to view the superintendent’s personnel file, as the superintendent is a direct hire of the School Board.
She said School Board members are aware that they can make arrangements to see Taylor’s personnel file in person with a member of the human resources staff present. They are not permitted to make copies or take photos of the file.
It’s not clear whether Phelps or Gillespie have made arrangements to view Taylor’s personnel file.
The Advance also asked whether Taylor or an attorney representing him were present during any of the closed session discussions leading up to his termination.
“Closed session discussions of personnel matters do not involve the employee in question unless the employee has requested a hearing,” Daniels responded.
