If not, please subscribe using the link at the top of the pageand help keep the news you care about coming. ABC 27 first reported on the incident leading up to the suspension in July 2021. The report concluded that although Mr. Burgess could have properly paid employees for extra duty work, he did so in a manner thatwas grossly improper. Rocky is the one that needs to go. We should consider ourselves lucky to have such a caring administrator at our school. For example, the extrawork includedfor one employeehelping out with summer testing, moving furniture and answering thefront desk phone over the summer, according to the law firm's report. Please answer all the questions that apply and be honest. To start with Id like someone (TR) to ask School Board Members to produce the properly and publicly advertised, voted on, and codified documentation and/or policy that authorizes the Superintendent to utilize taxpayer funds to contract with private investigators to spy on and otherwise investigate employees of the publicly-funded Leon County School System and under what circumstances this authorization can be utilized. Joe Burgess is doing the same thing that's been going on for 30 years.". She then walked off the dais and hugged Burgess, who was sitting in the audience, before leaving the building. The report found there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the Chiles High School principal, Joe Burgess, violated any law, policy, or rule. From the previous article contained in a link in this story, LCS has no procedure to vet this type of case, and really has no choice but to refer the case to DOAH for adjudication. "Leon County Schools is not responsible for the content provided on "related" and "promoted" videos that are accessible from our social media sites. The LCS Board voted to send the issue to a state level mediator, and the district later released the findings of a third-party investigation into Burgess managing of AP funds. Stanley, you know what Hanna has done and is doing. The Leon School Board agreed Tuesday to an administrative judge's ruling that Burgess willfully broke the rules. Verrone. There was insufficient evidence to conclude that Burgess violated any law, policy, rule, or directive regarding the use of AP project funds. This is about Vendetta Driven Rocky! These related videos and comments expressed on them do not reflect the opinions and position of Leon County Schools or its employees." Rocky put Billy in a position of elementary director over the last number of years Billy was a high school principal. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail regarding official business to the District or any of its employees. According to the review, Burgess "falsified District records by approving, signing, and submitting payroll documents he knew or should have known were inaccurate.". $10,000 being paid to Kevin from AP funds, in addition to his already large salary for coaching football and sitting in his office while kids lift weights, is a crime. The matter resurfaced at Tuesday's board meeting after a special meeting was held on April 4 to discuss the matter. Chiles basketball coaches removed from positions following LCS - WCTV He will have more than a few senior administrators/principals quietly rooting for him. Chiles High School Principal Felt Personally Targeted by LCS Investigation added by Steve Stewart on July 14, 2021View all posts by Steve Stewart . The investigation ultimately recommended that Mr. Burgess be disciplined in accordance with the districts policies. Later in July, Burgess hired attorney Stephen Webster to appeal the proposed suspension and the board turned the matter over to the Division of Administrative Hearings before any district disciplinary action. "The Leon County School District does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, sex (including transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender identity), marital status, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or genetic information." By Steve Stewart on July 14, 202124 Comments. Chiles head basketball coaches removed from their positions - WTXL Based on information about potential misconduct related to the misuse of funds at Chiles High School, Leon County School Superintendent Hanna requested an independent investigation in June. Background:Chiles High School principal appealing suspension over misusing funds, his lawyer says, 'The game saved us':How football lifted Chiles' Josef Marlow beyond living with autism. Joseph Burgess; Calli Pickens; John P. Swope; Jeff Lightfoot; Departments" Department Pages; Reading; Support Staff; . Superintendent Hanna suspended Burgess, but the Chiles principal decided to appeal the decision and the matter has been forwarded to the Department of Administrative Hearings by the Leon County School Board. Principal Burgess is a man of integrity. are due byFriday, May 5th. Webster said Burgess plans to appeal again. Refresh your Cache, Scan from inside the One Drive app on iOS and Android, Leon CARES - Individual Assistance Program, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). I forgot my password.-Scan from inside the One Drive app on iOS and Android- Unofficial Transcripts: click on "Grades" in your FOCUS account and print the "Grades" page. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. District Advisory Council, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Rocky does what Rocky wants to do and no one has the backbone to stand up to him on the school board or in the community. Chisenhall of the Department of Administrative Hearings. If you stand up to him hell falsify information about you and if you are an employee he will run you out of the district. However, the investigation also found there is insufficient evidence to conclude that Burgess violated any law and the districts guidance on the issue can be unclear at times. Still, the judge noted that "Principal Burgess otherwise has an outstanding record as a district employee.". Stephen Webster, Burgess' lawyer, said that while thedistrictalleged Burgess didnt keep accurate time cards,the district did not have a procedure that said the way Burgess was keeping records was wrong. A law firms alleges that burgess improperly paid employees for extra duty work and falsified records pertaining to payroll documents. Instead, contact the District or individual employee by phone or in writing." The reportable finding refers to Chiles High School Principal Joe Burgess, who was under investigation for allegedly using Advanced Placement funds to pay teachers and others for extra. A great leader sometimes has to make tough decisions. The monies at questions are labeled Advanced Placement (AP) funds. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A battle is brewing within the Leon County School District, stemming from allegations that Lawton Chiles High School Principal Joe Burgess had misused funds. Tuesday, the Leon County School board voted to send the appeal to the Division of Administrative Hearings prior to any District disciplinary actions. Bowen, who said she has known Burgess since he was 17, said "difficult" was an understatement. Burgess was reprimanded with a two-week suspension without pay, but wants a chance to prove his innocence. Remembering much of it, including the trip to the woods to meet a principal to give her some campaign signs. Oh yeah, and the campaign donations given to Pons in trade for building contracts including Art building at Killearn Elementary. If Rocky was a Republican our local leftists would be squealing racism and searching the Hanna family tree for slave ownership. Tallahassee, FL 32312. This is a time to speak up and show support. Tuesday, he told the school board he reported: "that we had some information about Lawton Chiles High School and that I was going to conduct an investigation about some potential wrongdoing.". Please click HERE for the "Top 10 Chromebook Hacks" video! Leon County Schools board membersearly Monday morningrejected Chiles High School principal Joe Burgess' objections to a suspension that was upheld by JudgeG.W. All rights reserved. Superintendent"Rocky Hanna did the same exact thing when he was the principal of Leon High School," Webster said in a phone interview. Chiles payroll issue raises red flag on Leon County Schools audit However, an outside investigator was hired by Leon County Schools (LCS) to look into another issue. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Frankly, I dont understand why it had to come to this. It is refreshing to see an actual investigation into something at Chiles instead of the usual brushing under the rug that normally goes on. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The decision to suspend Chiles Principal Joe Burgess for two weeks without pay was upheld Tuesday night by the Leon County School Board. The Birds: A Modern Adaptation by Don Zolidis | Playscripts Inc. She held up a thick binder, full of colorful tabs and highlights. You were were his major cheerleader when he ran in 2016. No commentary included. Now this policy thats not in policy, and this procedure that doesnt apply, and this practice that every principal has done including Rocky Hanna is now worthy of a two-week suspension?" Any time there was an issue you could expect to be listened to, to have the opportunity for discussion, and to solve the problem putting the school first. Eyebrows should be raised about why Rocky Hannah felt it necessary to pay an outside firm when Mr. Burgess was cleared in the initial investigation. We deserve better but the HAHA Hanna money won out, so now more lives can be ruined. Please click HERE to read the ListServ Email. Before deliberation, board member Dee Dee Rasmussen saidthe case had1,132 pages of transcript and 1,762 pages of exhibits. Want morenews coverage? This data is used to update the school profile, recognition at convocation and the honors senior page published in the Tallahassee Democrat. Wood said this decision was difficult for her and everyone else on the school board, including the superintendent. Chiles Principal Joseph Burgess confirmed to WCTV that boy's basketball coach Rick Davis and girl's basketball coach De'Ja Jeffery have been removed from their positions as head coaches of . TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) Independent investigators hired by Leon County Schools recently recommended disciplinary action for Chiles High School principal Joe Burgess after finding. If not, please subscribe using the link at the top of the pageand help keep the news you care about coming. Chiles High School Principal Felt "Personally Targeted" by LCS When Hanna ran in 2020, did you as a black man support him or the black female that ran against him? " This all came to light with a small item on the Leon County School Board agenda Tuesday night. Burgess is a great guy. Chiles High School principal Joe Burgess says he felt personally targeted when he learned he was being investigated for the second time after he put to rest initial allegations related to the use of school funds. We will continue to work with our students and our community to provide guidance to all students, especially those who would act in such an . "Leon County Schools is not responsible for the content provided on "related" and "promoted" videos that are accessible from our social media sites. The administrative hearing will most likely say the same thing and nothing will happen to the person that has been accused. "It is abundantly clear to me, as it has been for a while, we cannot wait for the staff and the superintendent to bring these policies forth," she said. The hours submitted often likely had no relationto the hours actually workedin the claimed pay period. Tallahassee Reports has requested information related to this issue from the Leon County School Board. When white racism goes completely unchecked - Hobbservation Point Burgess saidhe was not violating a clear policy, that the school board didn't prove they trained him on a clear policy and that he was unaware of violating a school board procedure that it'sthe principal's responsibility to review records for accuracy and approve them. Our thanks to @scottandwallace for sponsoring this award. The word of doesnt even make any sense there; it cant function that way. Copyright 2021 WCTV. Cases in front of DOAH are functionally a bench trial, with parties taking depositions, and rules of evidence and procedure. What did Rocky Hanna do to make Tallahassse Reports write a negative article? Please read the INSTRUCTIONS before uploading. He is a man of integrity and he is an exemplary principal. PDF INVESTIGATIVE MEMORANDUM - Tallahassee Reports Comments (-1) Janet Mejia. Chiles High / Homepage - Leon County Schools On Tuesday, the Leon County School Board voted to refer the appeal submitted by Mr. Joseph Burgess of the Superintendents recommended two-week suspension without pay to the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH).. Principal excuses racist behavior of teens who filmed - TheGrio All rights reserved. By Steve Stewart on July 18, 20216 Comments. Lets not name some of these crooked principals. In addition, why wont the district provide the information dictated by their own policies and procedures. Any previous district wide audit, that the superintendent should have conducted prior to this attack on Mr. Burgess, would have found any wrongdoing prior to this investigation. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail regarding official business to the District or any of its employees. For those with a memory, when Rocky was promoted out of Leon high School he cried foul, now he promoted Billy Eptene from principal to a director. The findings of the investigation, completed by the Coppins Monroe law firm, were detailed in a 20 page report. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The 2023 ESE Parent Survey window is now open and will remain open until June 30, 2023. I hope people in this town know that retribution retaliation and improper direction of resources are also aimed at innocent people who tell the truth and dont want to go along. This is basic English. Members argued many of Burgess' objections were outside the scope of the district's power. Instead, the hours Burgess approved and submitted for payment resulted from mathematical calculations that merely divided a pre-determined dollar amountbytheemployees hourly rateand then divided the result again over eight to ten months. Instead of investigating Mr. Burgess (phenomenal principal), Rocky needs to open an investigation on the many other principals in this county. Later, in a statement to reporters, Chiles High School Principal Joe Burgess said, "we do not condone these actions and though they were made by Chiles students, it is not a reflection of our student body. The lawfirm foundthat "Burgessfalsified district records by approving, signing and submitting payroll documents he knew or should have knownwere inaccurate.". 19662022 Bond Elementary School. Please follow the link below to complete the senior survey. Please make it stop! Through his attorney, Mr. Burgess exercised his right to due process and asked that the matter be turned over to an administrative law judge for review. A battle is brewing within the LCS District, stemming from allegations that Chiles High School's principal had misused funds meant to help AP students. Click HERE for the 2022-2023 Off Campus Lunch Pass Application. Burgess, however,saidhe was not violating a clear policy, that the school board didn't prove they trained him on a clear policy and that he was unaware of violating a school board procedure thatsays it'sthe principal's responsibility to review records for accuracy and approve them. Im proud to be able to call him a friend. Perhaps LCS needs to reevaluate how this has been handled. Want morenews coverage? Chiles High / Public Chiles Calendar - Leon County Schools Chiles Principal Joe Burgess loses suspension case against Leon Schools "It speaks volumes to these young ladies, who I have known since middle school," he said. At issue was Burgess' way of paying teachers for extra work.
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