Watson Chapel School Board trustees voted unanimously to hire a third-party investigative firm to look into allegations against a school employee following a lengthy executive session of a special called board meeting Wednesday.
The board did not identify either the firm or the employee, the latter due to state law, board President Sandra Boone said. Superintendent Andrew Curry was noticeably absent from the meeting; a call to Curry's cell phone Thursday seeking comment was not returned.
Boone added board members are unable to divulge the nature of the complaints, citing state law as well.
"As soon as the investigator has completed the investigations, we'll be able to bring all that public," Boone said. "It's just some random complaints from five employees. We're required to investigate any complaints which come before the board, and that's what we did tonight."
An independent firm was hired rather an in-house review requested to keep board members impartial toward either side, Boone said.
The board met for more than an hour in executive session before voting on the hiring via roll call. Six of the seven board members were present.
Athletic director among WHSD resignations
White Hall School Board trustees approved the resignation of Bobby Bolding as athletic director, nearly six months after he stepped down as the high school football head coach.
Bolding cited burnout in giving up the football post just days after he led the Bulldogs to the 5A state championship game. The WHSD hired former University of Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett as head coach in February.
Bolding had spent the last three years at White Hall, after a 12-year run at Pine Bluff High School that saw the Zebras win two state championships.
Board members also accepted certified resignations from T.J. Wreyford as high school girls basketball coach and health teacher, Claude Johnson as teacher and assistant football coach, Troy DeBill as middle school EAST lab facilitator (effective May 27), Sherry Downen as middle school resource English teacher, Monica Gregory as Taylor Elementary special education teacher, Katelyn Price as Moody Elementary second-grade teacher, Jennifer Nicholson as high school special education teacher (effective May 27), Jasmine Smith as Taylor Elementary special education teacher, and Cami Wells as high school agriculture teacher.
Certified new hires include Paula Vance as Gandy Elementary special ed teacher, Amanda Tidwell to replace Downen, Jacob Holland to replace Nicholson, Sam Donnelly to replace Wells, Nicole Coffel as high school math teacher, LaDonna Reed as Gandy third-grade teacher, Deanna Hulse as Moody teacher, Kristi Massey to replace Gregory and Shaunte' McFarland to replace Smith.
Joanette Allison is transferring from Gandy to the middle school as a math teacher, and Jason Mitchell is transferring from middle school teacher to high school teacher and coach.
Classified resignations include Amy Harbison as district secretary, Synthia Hayes as Moody paraprofessional (effective May 27), Easton Mullinax as district technology technician (effective Tuesday), Gina Richardson as Hardin Elementary paraprofessional (effective May 26) and Nathaniel Jackson as bus driver. Myles Jolly was hired as a middle school paraprofessional test prep.
Teri Lanni is retiring as a Taylor paraprofessional.