PORTSMOUTH
The school division's bill for hiring two legal firms to investigate complaints stemming from what some called inappropriate remarks made by Board member Keith Nance Sr. topped out at nearly $26,000, according to documents obtained from Portsmouth officials.
Earlier this month, the School Board unanimously voted to censure Nance over the incident. Nance, who also voted in favor of the censure, told an African American principal she could sit on his lap while they were in a crowded room this past August during a retreat.
The censure stated that Nance's comments "were not in accordance with the workplace conditions that the board has tried to maintain for its employees."
The Virginian-Pilot filed a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to review the documents surrounding the incident, but School Board Attorney George Willson said the paperwork would not be disclosed because it was prepared by attorneys to be used exclusively in closed session meetings.
Nance's comments prompted Board member Mark Whitaker, Board Chairman James Bridgeford and school division Superintendent David Stuckwisch to file complaints against Nance alleging he engaged in sexual harassment and racial discrimination.
Bridgeford said a School Board employee typically looks into such matters, but in this case the employee would have had to interview people he works for and that would have been inappropriate.
"We felt it would be more objective getting an outside person," Bridgeford said.
Bridgeford said the Virginia School Boards Association also agreed that the board should pursue an investigation and an outside legal firm should handle it.
The examination of the complaints against Nance cost nearly $21,000, and about 50 people were interviewed, Willson said.
"If it costs you $20,000, it costs you $20,000," Stuckwisch said. "The allegations demanded an exhaustive investigation."
According to a school document, Nance also later filed a complaint against Stuckwisch, Bridgeford, and the division's director of human resources, alleging harassment and the creation of a hostile and tense environment.
The board agreed that Nance's complaint also should be investigated by an outside law firm, Bridgeford said. A different firm was hired to examine Nance's allegations. That work cost about $5,000, according to school division documents. Board members, the superintendent, and at least one member of the division's human resources department were interviewed, Willson said.
Asked whether the investigations were worth it, Nance said he couldn't answer the question.
"I said from day one that the remark was inappropriate and offered an apology up," he said.
Cheryl Ross, (757) 446-2443, cheryl.ross@pilotonline.com
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The whole thing is
The whole thing is ridiculous. Nance said something stupid, the principal should have told him so at that time...and Nance should have apologized. End of story. Isn't that how we encourage our CHILDREN to handle disagreements and offensive remarks? Why was it necessary to handle this issue in such a manner?
The school board should be setting an example for our children. You'd think they would have figured that out by now. I continue to be disappointed, dismayed and disgusted by the lot of them!
26000.00 for attorney fees for school board investigation
That much could have paid for a paraprofessional for a year to work in the Portsmouth schools.
Can we clear something up??
For as stupid as this entire episode sounds and most likely is...aside from all that which is way too obvious..one has to wonder about this quote "told an African American principal she could sit on his lap while they were in a crowded room this past August during a retreat." Somebody, anybody, please.....enlighten the rest of us as to what the hell the fact that the principal was African American have to do with any of this???? I guess if she was white it would not be an issue right?? Just as it should not be an issue now.
Just try to picture how hard this law firm had to work to try and figure out how to use $26K worth of hours on this nonsense. What useful work could a lawfirm possibly perform to wrack up that many hours on something so stupid. I'd love to see the billing and the deliverable.
Lets see here
The man made an inappropriate comment, he admitted to it and apologized for it. The School Board censured him for it. Then they paid twenty-six thousand dollars to investigate something he had already admitted to. No wonder the financial situation in Portsmouth is in trouble. Man you guys sure make me proud!!
Did the right thing
I trust the superintendent to do the right thing in situations like this. If he was involved, I'm confident the matter was handled professionally. The school board itself however has proven to be largely ineffective and consumed by politics.
I seem to remeber that it
I seem to remeber that it was actually a third party male who heard the comments and he made the complaints. It was the same guy who months earlier obtained an assault warrant against a 70 year old female board member.
hmmm
Maybe we need to Prophet Barack Husseint Obama to get the Rev Wright to lead a prayer of unity.
Maybe he just likes her
Do we need to make a federal case out of every little thing? It seems to me that as bad as what he did may have been, making such a big deal out of it makes the rest of the Board look incompetent, hypersensitive, and foolish. And a principal with such thin skin, should get a clue. A lady would not dignify such a remark with an acknowledgement beyond words to the effect of "not in THIS lifetime, Mr. Nance."
No Leadership
This is just another example of the lack of leadership in Portsmouth.
It's Always...................
............Easy to spend OTHER'S Money.............
Peace in P-Town!
Portsmouth could have put that money to better use, by giving it to Louise Lucas. She likes money, ya know.
Portsmouth is spending money so the School Board members can investigate each other over sexual and racial allegations, and now it is about to spend a lot more defending itself against Louise's frivolous 100 million dollar lawsuit over racial allegations. P-Town's future doesn't look very bright, and gets darker with each news story.
There's only one way to fix the mess. Portsmouth needs to borrow Norfolk City Councilman Paul Riddick, so he can walk across the river and spread racial harmony among Portsmouth's City Government. Only then will there be peace in P-Town!
Lawyer's bills
The school principal should take her thumb out of her mouth and realize she lives in a world where these comments happen - I'm not saying they're correct , but they do happen, sometime in jest. If she felt that strongly about the comment , a real LADY would have slapped the commenter's face.
Boo-hoo
Someone said something to me that I can make money off of. I'll just sue.
Just another person wanting something free......first welfare, then sue someone because they hurt their feelings. Give me a break !!!
Here we go again....
More money wasted by the school board. The man made a remark that was "inappropriate," has been held accountable and has apologized. I don't think this situation necessitated the expenditure of such a large amount of money. How much school supplies would $26,000 get us? Just another example of the school board's ineptness.
$26,000?
Who is the main lawyer? Bill Owerly?
Let's take offense to
Let's take offense to everything, investigate everything, and spend our lives bickering! I think if a woman told a man to sit on her lap, most of the time the man would laugh. I would. I sure wouldn't take offense. But when it's a man saying this to a woman, we have a legal situation, a massive investigation, a highly offensive remark, an international incident! I'm sorry, it's a little much. Get over it.
Man let that principal go
Man let that principal go for being whiny. Dude said it on lap, not lapdance. Sounds like the principal is racist and costing the taxpayers money. Thanks for looking out for us, Pilot!
26000.00 for attorney fees for school board investigation
What a waste of money-I can't even get the city to cut some rotten limbs out of one of their trees affecting my property-they don't have enough money to do it.