The Columbus Municipal School District board adjourned its meeting Monday without conducting any business after board members disagreed on hiring Columbus High School’s next principal.
Dr. Philip Hickman, the district’s superintendent, proposed the board vote to hire Frederick Hill, former superintendent of the Natchez-Adams School District, to lead Columbus High.
CMSD 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’s potential hire was scheduled to be voted on during the meeting’s “staff personnel recommendations,” meaning it and other items would be considered within one vote.
Spears motioned that Hill’s potential hiring be voted on separately. That failed to pass. CMSD board president Angela Verdell motioned to approve the agenda for the meeting. When that failed to pass, the meeting was canceled.
The board room, which was full of CMSD students expecting to be recognized by the district, then emptied.
Hill allegations
Hill was fired from his position as the superintendent of the Natchez-Adams School District a week ago today by its board of trustees, 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.
Hill had been hired to lead the Natchez district in 2012.
“This is a judgment by the courts that said he discriminated against other personnel,” Spears said Monday evening during the CMSD school board meeting. “I think it would be very bad for our school district to bring this individual into this district.”
Hickman, though, argued Hill was one of the “top three” candidates interviewed for the Columbus High principal job. The other two candidates, he said, had been “quickly snatched up.”
Hickman implored Spears to “dig a little deeper,” claiming that Hill was “wrongfully terminated as superintendent” and that since CMSD planned to hire him as a principal, rather than superintendent, the issue was moot.
The matter was left unresolved.
“The motion to move forward with business does fail, so we’re not able to conduct any business tonight,” Verdell said.
Spears also claimed he had only learned of Hill’s potential hire on Monday. Verdell, though, said the item was listed on the CMSD website Friday, along with the rest of the personnel requests.
Verdell said current Columbus High Principal Undray Scott will remain in his position until June.
The board will continue to review the issue and Hill’s potential employment at its next meeting, according to Verdell.
The CMSD board is comprised of five seats. It currently is made up of Verdell, Spears, Josie Shumake and Currie Fisher. The fifth seat is vacant, following Stephen Jones’ resignation after he was elected to the Columbus City Council.
Sam Luvisi is news editor and covers education for The Dispatch.
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