Antioch schools superintendent fired over bullying claims from staff
ANTIOCH, Calif. - The controversy over whether a major department head of the Antioch Unified School District was a prankster or a bully has resulted in the firing of the superintendent for not holding that person accountable. Nonetheless, under the contract, former Superintendent Stephanie Anello will receive $265,000 of this year's $353,000 salary.
This was the pronouncement by the school board's president at Wednesday’s board meeting.
"The board took action in closed session to terminate the superintendent's agreement effective immediately, without cause, pursuant to the terms of that employment agreement."
Anello sent out an e-mail message Wednesday evening confirming her departure.
"Clear that we weren't doing right by our employees and, ultimately, by our students, and our role as a board is to make sure we're moving in the best direction," said school board President Antonio Hernandez.
The unanimous termination stems from complaints by four staff members that the district's maintenance director, Kenneth Turnage, was bullying them; often shouting, insulting, humiliating, berating, and belittling them.
"This has gone on for two years now," said Maintenance Specialist Jim Kessler.
In one example, Kessler said his desk was placed on a roof with a crude sign placed near an unsecured ladder, an OSHA violation, as well as tossing his personal effects thrown into a cart with things now missing.
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"Everybody kind of knew that he's kind of aggressive. He can be very loud. He's very demanding. People stayed away from him. I stayed away from him because I had this thing in his office prior to that. That's why I think he retaliated against me," said Kessler.
Several employees say they went on stress medical leaves; another fearing physical assault.
"It's just so damaging to the staff and the whole district. It's just been awful," said Purchasing Technician Kim Atkinson.
Employees have said the superintendent failed to act because Turnage, who is on administrative leave, is a friend of the former superintendent and her husband, a former Antioch police chief.
"Nothing happened. And we tried…to go the path that the district asked you to go by doing the forms. We had faith in the system that it would work, and the system completely failed," said Atkinson.
Neither the former superintendent nor the maintenance director called or wrote back to KTVU.
In this case, silence is not golden.
The board that did the firing will do the hiring. You can be sure that the next superintendent will know that everyone: the staff, the students, the teachers and the public know exactly what the rules are and adhere to them.