The Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees will meet Friday to discuss hiring a new Columbus High School principal.
The board will consider hiring Lori Cargile as CHS principal, according to a source who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak about personnel hires.
Cargile has been an assistant principal at CHS since 2012. Prior to that, she was director of the high school’s International Baccalaureate program. She is a graduate of Mississippi University for Women and Arkansas State University.
Current CHS Principal Undray Scott will remain in his position until June, according to CMSD board president Angela Verdell.
The special called meeting was announced Wednesday. The meeting’s agenda, posted online at the CMSD website, says it is for “consideration to approve staff.”
During the school board’s April 11 meeting, CMSD Superintendent Dr. Philip Hickman asked the board to hire Frederick Hill as CHS principal. The board did not take the matter up after board member Jason Spears said he had concerns about hiring Hill, who he said “has numerous problems that would be brought to our district.”
Hill was fired from his position as the superintendent of the Natchez-Adams School District by its board of trustees earlier this month, according to The Natchez-Democrat.
Court documents show a federal lawsuit was filed against the Natchez-Adams School District, an assistant superintendent and Hill in May 2014. The plaintiff, a former principal in Natchez, alleged in the lawsuit that her forced retirement was due in part to her white race.
The former principal won the lawsuit in September. A jury granted her a $668,000 judgment, including a $75,000 judgment against Hill.
Hickman told the board during the April 11 meeting that Hill was one of three finalists for the CHS principal job. The other two, he said, had been “quickly snatched up.”
The Dispatch subsequently made a Freedom of Information Act request for the three finalists’ resumes. The school board’s attorney denied that request, saying the resumes were part of personnel files.
Friday’s meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Brandon Central Services Center boardroom.
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