Manatee County school board, district mired in expensive lawsuits
Politics or oversight?
Anyone who has been a party to a lawsuit knows how quickly costs of litigation accumulate and can choke a donkey or even an elephant. That is presumably why School Board Policy 2.17 provides that attorneys fees incurred by an employee will be paid upon a determination by our superintendent and board attorney that the employee was:
1. Acting within the scope of their duties without willful neglect, gross negligence or improper conduct; and 2. The payment of the legal fees is necessary to protect the Board and the District. Thereafter, policy requires our Superintendent recommend payment of those legal fees to the Board.
As a result of the Rick Mills administration, our district has been a party to numerous lawsuits. One was filed by former district employee Robert Gagnon against the district, Rick Mills, Karen Carpenter (current board chairperson), Julie Aranibar (former board member), and Troy Pumphrey (former board investigator). Another was filed against the district and Dave Miner (current board member) by Troy Pumphrey.
Public records clearly show that the district has, and continues, to pay the legal fees of all defendants in the Gagnon case. Board minutes fail to show Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Attorney Jim Dye ever made the determination required by district policy or that Dr. Greene recommended the payment of these legal fees to the board.
Had such recommendation been made, I trust Dr. Greene would have disclosed to the board that by paying Mr. Pumphrey's fees, the district continues the targeted attack against Mr. Gagnon initiated during Mr. Mills' administration and frees up capital for Mr. Pumphrey to fund his lawsuit against the district and Mr. Miner.
When Dr. Greene took office, she said she wanted to help heal the district. Dr. Greene, please cauterize the district's wounds and stop the bleeding!
Kate Smith
Parrish
This story was originally published March 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee County school board, district mired in expensive lawsuits ."