If not, please subscribe using the link at the top of the pageand help keep the news you care about coming. Copyright 2021 WCTV. Board member Rasmussencriticized the district's lack of policy regarding training for documentation of time worked. . Chiles High School Joe Burgess, Principal Megan Abbott, TOY William Buchanan, RETIREE Harold Cheeseborough, SREY Stephanie Hart, Adult Volunteer Leisa Johnson, RETIREE Sherri Kelly Kawagoye, . Contact Ana Goi-LessanatAGoniLessan@tallahassee.comand follow her on Twitter@goni_lessan. by Joe Landry. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A battle is brewing within the Leon County School District, stemming from allegations that Lawton Chiles High School Principal Joe Burgess had misused funds meant to help Advanced Placement students. Burgess was reprimanded with a two-week suspension without pay, but wants a chance to prove his innocence. Tuesday, the Leon County School board voted to send the appeal to the Division of Administrative Hearings prior to any District disciplinary actions. Thats when it was decided to send it to the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings. 0:00 0:08 The week before classrooms reopened to students, Lawton Chiles High School had two employees test positive for COVID-19, and Principal Joseph Burgess is urging the Leon County. Leon County Schools sent the following statement via email Monday afternoon: "The Leon County School Board voted unanimously (with one abstention from Board Member Striplin) to reject the exceptions filed by Mr. Joe Burgesss attorney and approve the recommended DOAH Final Order.". For example, the extrawork includedfor one employeehelping out with summer testing, moving furniture and answering thefront desk phone over the summer, according to the law firm's report. Chiles High School Principal Felt Personally Targeted by LCS Investigation added by Steve Stewart on July 14, 2021View all posts by Steve Stewart . The matter resurfaced at Tuesday's board meeting after a special meeting was held on April 4 to discuss the matter. Please click HERE for the "Top 10 Chromebook Hacks" video! Comments (-1) Janet Mejia. WolfCenter is currently working on the Senior Video and ALL submissions. These related videos and comments expressed on them do not reflect the opinions and position of Leon County Schools or its employees." I will say having observed Joe Burgess as a Chiles parent for the last 7 years, I have never seen a principal so actively involved in all areas of a high school. Comments (-1) Through his attorney, Mr. Burgess exercised his right to due process and asked that the matter be turned over to an administrative law judge for review. "It speaks volumes to these young ladies, who I have known since middle school," he said. I agree this is a Witch Hunt that needs to get reeled back in because it is going nowhere. He is a man of integrity and he is an exemplary principal. His attorney, Stephen Webster, told ABC 27 quote "The district's refusal to provide a name clearing hearing only furthers his belief that this action is retaliatory.". Office Hours - Monday thru Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Visitation Information-Click HERE for important information regarding the visitation procedures.CDC Guidelines - Please click HERE for more information.InClass 2021 -Please clickHERE for more information. It pertained to undocumented hourly pay from Advanced Placement project funds. Im proud to be able to call him a friend. Want morenews coverage? The two-week suspension for Burgess would stand. The report found there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the Chiles High School principal, Joe Burgess, violated any law, policy, or rule. Rocky does what Rocky wants to do and no one has the backbone to stand up to him on the school board or in the community. Chiles Principal Joseph Burgess confirmed to WCTV that boy's basketball coach Rick Davis and girl's basketball coach De'Ja Jeffery have been removed from their positions as head coaches of . There were tears even before the special school board meeting began to address the fate of a beloved principal's otherwise flawless work record. Alex, my memory is good. Anxious to prove his innocence, he requested a copy of the grievance procedure and a name-clearing hearing. Perhaps if our local Public Indoctrination System and their Screwperincompetent focused more on Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic instead of reading, writing, and race bating we might avoid such errors in the future. Now, Burgess is taking his own action against the district. Joe Burgess, Principal Megan Abbott, TOY William Buchanan, RETIREE Harold Cheeseborough, SREY Stephanie Hart, Adult Volunteer . "Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. It just doesnt make sense for this nonsense, when administratively it clearly looks like the district office are truly the ones that are wrong here for not having sufficient policies and procedures to protect their principal and/or other principals currently using the same funds. On the record Rocky admitted he falsified information to federal authorities, yet the school board has never held him to account. That for nearlyallemployees authorizedtoengagein hourly work utilizing AP project funds, [Principal] Burgess falsified District records by approving, signing, andsubmitting payrolldocuments he knew (or should have known) wereinaccurate. Joe Burgess gives his entire heart and soul to the kids at Chiles High School. The recommended order upheld by the DOAH judgeagreed withLeon County Schools' decision to briefly suspend Burgess for two weeks for "misconduct in officeand/or willful neglect of duty.". Honor Flight receives warm welcome to D.C. publicfile@live5news.com - (843) 402-5555. FULL STATEMENT FROM JOE BURGESS ATTORNEY. He has admitted this to a board hired attorney, Hank Coxe. 2023 www.tallahassee.com. A great leader sometimes has to make tough decisions. 2022 Glenn-Howell Distinguished Educator Of The Year, "Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. ", More:School choice expansion leaves Leon County Schools in $11.5M budget deficit, More:Florida school board advocates react to new term limit law signed by Gov. Welcome to the Chiles High School Website. Wood said this decision was difficult for her and everyone else on the school board, including the superintendent. The investigation focused on claims that Burgess misdirected Advanced Placement funds at Chiles High School. District procedure 1470 statesthat, Administrative staff shall have access to a grievance procedure.The Districts refusal to provide a copy of the procedure, and theDistricts refusal to provide a name-clearing hearing only further his belief that this action is retaliatory. This kind of investigation does little more than harm the very students that LCS are supposed to be looking out for. But Joe is done with him and I expect will have some damaging testimony for DOAH. Its HAVE. Please answer all the questions that apply and be honest. What should WTXL be covering in this community. Chiles High School principal appealing suspension over misusing funds, his lawyer says, How football lifted Chiles' Josef Marlow beyond living with autism. Rue by Mandy Conner. Burgess and his attorney requested a name-clearing hearing, which the district denied. Verrone. If something was being done wrong, why wasnt anything ever brought up about the way these funds were spent before this supposed issue at Chiles? Leon County Schools board membersearly Monday morningrejected Chiles High School principal Joe Burgess' objections to a suspension that was upheld by JudgeG.W. The written final order reflecting the Boards actions today will be added to the consent agenda of the April 12 meeting. -The WolfCenter Staff. Lawton Chiles High School is building a tradition of excellence by providing the best learning environment where students are challenged to be active learners, leaders, achievers and contributors within a global community. Legal representation for the longtime principal said Burgess is being denied his right to clear his name, and said in a statement, in part: He was shocked to recently learn that he was under investigation for allegedly misdirecting Advanced Placement (AP) funds, but he was satisfied the investigation was closed when proof was provided that the payments were proper. His level of involvement, integrity, and devotion is beyond my expectations as a parent. Instead, contact the District or individual employee by phone or in writing." We deserve better but the HAHA Hanna money won out, so now more lives can be ruined. Chiles principal loses challenge of his two-week suspension by Leon County schools, School district continues to pay down debt but Chiles payroll issue raises red flag, School choice expansion leaves Leon County Schools in $11.5M budget deficit, Florida school board advocates react to new term limit law signed by Gov. Webster said Burgess plans to appeal again. Members argued many of Burgess' objections were outside the scope of the district's power. LOG IN. Nam pellentesque et arcu pharetra pretium. Bowen, who said she has known Burgess since he was 17, said "difficult" was an understatement. Any time there was an issue you could expect to be listened to, to have the opportunity for discussion, and to solve the problem putting the school first. At this stage the Rocky Hanna playbook calls for anonymous accusations, innuendo and smear tactics. Im searching for Rockys motives, does he have a buddy with a personal grievance over football issues or maybe one who wants to the principal at Chiles? Superintendent"Rocky Hanna did the same exact thing when he was the principal of Leon High School," Webster said in a phone interview. As such, he felt personally targeted when the investigation shifted to an entirely new allegation of wrongdoing once the initial allegation was disproven. Background:Chiles High School principal appealing suspension over misusing funds, his lawyer says, 'The game saved us':How football lifted Chiles' Josef Marlow beyond living with autism. The report repeatedly noted that school officials have broad discretion how to use the funds. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The decision to suspend Chiles Principal Joe Burgess for two weeks without pay was upheld Tuesday night by the Leon County School Board. "The Leon County School District does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, ethnicity . If anyone should be suspended it should be Rocky. Still, the judge noted that "Principal Burgess otherwise has an outstanding record as a district employee.". The administrative hearing will most likely say the same thing and nothing will happen to the person that has been accused. It is a shame to see his reputation called into question with little to no facts to back them up. This is a time to speak up and show support. But Chisenhall said the case "is an example of how the ends do not always justify the means Burgess had a system enabling him to dole out unauthorized supplements without any oversight.". Out of all the misspent funds by local elected officials past and present and some of the top administrators, etc this is a joke. District Advisory Council, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Bourgade Catholic High School is a diocesan, co-educational Roman Catholic high school in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Julie Baisden, GHKyle Callahan, SREYJan Cook, Senior VolunteerBambi Jackson, RETIREEJune Moberly, RETIREEAshley Prosser, TOYFinalist, Scotty Crowe, PrincipalGabrielle Ahnberg, RETIREEWanda Brown, RETIREEGussie Sherman, RETIREEKathleen Sherman, Senior VolunteerDieonne Smith, RETIREEKasey Sprague, SREYMary Stuart, RETIREECarrie Thornton, TOYMichelle Vasquez, GHMason Walker, Youth VolunteerRebekah Weldon, Adult Volunteer, Desmond Cole, PrincipalPatricia Gavin, RETIREESusan Howard, REIIREEJoshua Johnson, GHDaphne McClain, RETIREEEarl Moore, RETIREEBeverley Rines, RETIREEBeverly Remland, Senior VolunteerCheryl Wimberley, RETIREECity Church, PFE, Jane Floyd-Bullen, PrincipalLisa Bartholf, Adult VolunteerCaroline Cara Edenfield, TOYRuby Gilyard, RETIREERonnie Herring, RETIREERykia Jackson, GHGloria McCloud, RETIREEAltamease Miles, SREY /RETIREE - Finalist, Zelena OBanner, PrincipalAllison Agbasoga, GHMaliek Denmark, Youth VolunteerChristin Ellrich, TOYStacy Troutman, SREYRuby Walker, RETIREE, Dr. Rhonda Blackwell-Flanagan, PrincipalSusan Fordham, RETIREENikki Glenn, SREYVernisha Howard, GH FINALISTNancy Oakley, TOYMary Jo Peltier, RETIREERudean Rogers, RETIREEJennifer Siddoway, Adult VolunteerSouth City Foundation, PFEWINNER, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Important Information JudgeG.W. Burgess has never targeted any student. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Should HAVE known. These related videos and comments expressed on them do not reflect the opinions and position of Leon County Schools or its employees." The investigation ultimately recommended that Mr. Burgess be disciplined in accordance with the districts policies. Hanna has denied he violated district payroll policywhen he was a principal at Leon High School. Joe Burgess, PrincipalMegan Abbott, TOYWilliam Buchanan, RETIREEHarold Cheeseborough, SREYStephanie Hart, Adult VolunteerLeisa Johnson, RETIREESherri Kelly Kawagoye, RETIREEJeffrey Lightfoot, RETIREELucy McKee, Youth VolunteerRebecca Robinson, RETIREEKate Strickland, GHLisa Strickland, RETIREELaura Vaughn, RETIREE. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Chiles High School - AP Program funds / Hourly Employees July 1, 2021 Page 6 restrictions had been loosened or lifted.3 Burgess states he understands the AP project money to be "fully discretionary" under current rules. Burgess saidhe was not violating a clear policy, that the school board didn't prove they trained him on a clear policy and that he was unaware of violating a school board procedure that it'sthe principal's responsibility to review records for accuracy and approve them. Tallahassee, FL 32312. It is a 27-acre campus located at 4602 N. 31st Avenue, just west of Interstate 17, and several miles from downtown Phoenix. Now there was a real slippery political rascal investigated by the FBI. He went above and beyond in every way. Hanna is a crook and sorry school administrator. 19532022 Killearn Elementary School. Check your students grades and attendance from your smart phone! SuperintendentBrenda Whitaker, RETIREE, Jimbo Jackson, PrincipalChristine Aron, RETIREEDr. Chiles High School Principal Felt Personally Targeted by LCS Investigation. All seniors must respond. You got that right. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Chisenhall of the Department of Administrative Hearings. Creekside freshman Alyson Johnson rolled to a personal best 10:43 victory in the 3200 meter run at the FHSAA 4A District 2 meet hosted by Bartram Trail, while also winning the 1600 meter run earlier with a sub 5 performance of 4:59. . Did this jog your memory? "But the court said that was beyond(its) purview. To start with Id like someone (TR) to ask School Board Members to produce the properly and publicly advertised, voted on, and codified documentation and/or policy that authorizes the Superintendent to utilize taxpayer funds to contract with private investigators to spy on and otherwise investigate employees of the publicly-funded Leon County School System and under what circumstances this authorization can be utilized. However, an outside investigator was hired by Leon County Schools (LCS) to look into another issue. Burgess filed six objections to the recommended order, including that the district did not prove he violated a policy, that there was no training on time sheet procedures and the court erred by refusing to let Burgess introduce evidence of bias and motive. The report concluded that although Mr. Burgess could have properly paid employees for extra duty work, he did so in a manner thatwas grossly improper. Frankly, I dont understand why it had to come to this. Read the judge's entire recommended orderhere. "Leon County Schools is not responsible for the content provided on "related" and "promoted" videos that are accessible from our social media sites. Eyebrows should be raised about why Rocky Hannah felt it necessary to pay an outside firm when Mr. Burgess was cleared in the initial investigation. "After atwo day hearing, Judge Chisenhall upheld the two week suspension without pay and ruled (that the)evidence showed both misconduct in office and a willful neglect of duty. In a statement provided to Tallahassee Reports, his attorney wrote that Burgess was shocked to recentlylearn that he was under investigation for allegedly misdirecting Advanced Placement (AP) funds, but he was satisfied the investigation was closed when proof was provided that the payments were proper.. Burgess started his freshman year at Mater Dei High School , then transferred to his local school Woodbridge High School in California and played his remaining high school years. No commentary included. Theres an awful lot of unlikely, would have, could have, should have, insufficient evidence and apparently, bad math involved in this witch hunt. Instead, contact the District or individual employee by phone or in writing." Ashlyn Laughlin - Pineview Elementary School, Baleasa Hill - Oak Ridge Elementary School, Rodrick Sailor - Sabal Palm Elementary School, Regina Browning, PrincipalErvin Alday, RETIREEKaren Atkinson, RETIREECatherine Baham, GHVerdell Hall, RETIREEElizabeth Heffington, Senior VolunteerBrenda Lee, RETIREEVanessa Rua, Adult VolunteerJosephine Sloan, SREY/RETIREE, Apalachee Tapestry MagnetSchool of the Arts, Tiffany Williams, PrincipalNicole Green, TOYAnthony Jones, Senior VolunteerSamantha Love, GHChristopher Seabrooks, SREYCurtis Watson, RETIREEFaith Baptist Church, PFE, Cassandra Poole, PrincipalJasmyne Holmes, GHLaTasha Jones, TOYDeborah Madden, RETIREEKatrinka Norwood, RETIREEKeTurah Poole, SREYGeraldine Williams, RETIREE, Marcus Scott, PrincipalShawn Ackerman, GHPatricia Biehler, RETIREEShigella McGriff, SREY FINALISTAlma Parker, TOYCynthia Prescott, RETIREEJennifer Williams, RETIREE, Delshauna Jackson, PrincipalBlondie Bennett, RETIREEThecla Brown, RETIREEWanda Daniels, SREYClara Hampton, GHIra Johnson, Senior VolunteerConstance Manning, RETIREEShanterria Robinson, TOYAnthony Williams, RETIREETallahassee Sunrise Rotary Club, PFE, Billy Millard, PrincipalJennifer Brown, SREYFinalistNorine Mitchell, GHRachel Ryan, TOYCharlie Velazquez, MentorHobbit American Grill, PFE, Staci Mortham, PrincipalBernice Brown, RETIREEMarie Burns, RETIREESharron Dollar, SREYAtricia Goode, GHCathy Healy, RETIREERonald Frederick, Senior VolunteerJamie McBrearty, TOY, Michael Holmes, PrincipalErin Adams, Adult VolunteerTracie Davis, MentorJaneen Hall, TOYJohn Herzog, GHFrank Pondexter, SREYLester Stephens, RETIREE, Joe Burgess, PrincipalMegan Abbott, TOYWilliam Buchanan, RETIREEHarold Cheeseborough, SREYStephanie Hart, Adult VolunteerLeisa Johnson, RETIREESherri Kelly Kawagoye, RETIREEJeffrey Lightfoot, RETIREELucy McKee, Youth VolunteerRebecca Robinson, RETIREEKate Strickland, GHLisa Strickland, RETIREELaura Vaughn, RETIREE, Sarah Hembree, PrincipalTiffany Davis, Mentor DISTRICT WINNERWendi Davis, GHBrent Hartsfield, Senior VolunteerMiatta Jalaber, Adult VolunteerMaureen Parrott, TOYAva Williams, Youth Volunteer5 Star Pizza, PFE, Jason Koerner, PrincipalClaretha Florence, SREYValencia Hallowell, TOYPam Jameson, Senior VolunteerBarbara Myers, RETIREEAsia Ross, GHSS&P, PFEDISTRICT WINNER, Stephen Mills, PrincipalJenny Carter, Adult VolunteerDianne Jackson, RETIREELinda Johnson, RETIREE /TOYFinalistVictoria Lightfoot, RETIREEBryan Miller, Youth VolunteerJoseph Miller, GHCarol OConnor, RETIREEDorothy Twyford, SREY, Michele Keltner, PrincipalSarah Ashley Bennett, TOYCarol Bird, RETIREEJohn Croley, MentorPorshe DuPont, GHJames Branson Hurst, Youth VolunteerDISTRICT WINNERJessica Milton, Adult VolunteerLeJina Payne, SREYFinalistErma Sever, Senior VolunteerElite Sporting Goods, Small PFE, Brooke Brunner, DirectorShelle Cooper, RETIREELeslie Freeman, RETIREEVicki Young, RETIREE, Dr. T. Alan Cox, Asst SuperintendentJoyce Delaney, RETIREELisa Kane, RETIREEPamela McComb, RETIREE, Danny Allbritton, DirectorDavid Akinsanya, RETIREELise Baggs, RETIREEKaren McCurley, RETIREE, Rusty Edwards, PrincipalJennifer Cameron, TOYAlphonso Dorsey, SREYAmanda Farrell, GHJason Fauble, MentorGrace Frances, Adult VolunteerPhillip Hannah, RETIREEMark Weismantel, RETIREEEmerge Church, PFE, Kim Banks, Asst. This is not easy. The findings of the investigation, completed by the Coppins Monroe law firm, were detailed in a 20 page report. Some of them received letters from Superintendent Hannah Wednesday saying they were cleared. Its sad that a seemingly good person like Joe Burgess got involved in this. The investigation mentions several other staff members whose names are redacted from documents. All rights reserved. I would like to see some new board policies that really put these things in writing, incement, so that theres no ambiguity," Wood said. Jones, Rasmussen, Georgia "Joy" Bowen and Rosanne Wood were left to cast their votes. "The Leon County School District does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, sex (including transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender identity), marital status, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or genetic information., Second Chance at Ghazvini Learning Center, Success Academy at Ghazvini Learning Center, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Based on information about potential misconduct related to the misuse of funds at Chiles High School, Leon County School Superintendent Hanna requested an independent investigation in June. School board member Alva Striplin recused herself from the vote as soon as chair Darryl Jones called the meeting to order. Independent investigators hired by Leon County schools recently recommended disciplinary action for Chiles High School principal Joe Burgess after finding evidence they say proves he paid employees in a way that was, quote, "grossly improper.". James S. Rickards High School. Chisenhall, the DOAH judge, said the case "is an example of how the ends do not always justify the means Burgess had a system enabling him to dole out unauthorized supplements without any oversight. This data is used to update the school profile, recognition at convocation and the honors senior page published in the Tallahassee Democrat. None of this work is, but we're going to get the job done.". By Steve Stewart on July 18, 20216 Comments. She held up a thick binder, full of colorful tabs and highlights. Its part of the job. What should WTXL be covering in this community. Principal Burgess is a man of integrity. "I am grateful just. If you think your kid was targeted its probably because they were an ignorant little racist just like their parents! What did Rocky Hanna do to make Tallahassse Reports write a negative article? ABC 27 first reported on the incident leading up to the suspension in July 2021. There was insufficient evidence to conclude that Burgess violated any law, policy, rule, or directive regarding the use of AP project funds. Some of the extra work wasalso allegedly paid without documentation. "Leon County Schools is not responsible for the content provided on "related" and "promoted" videos that are accessible from our social media sites. TPD investigating shooting at Lake Bradford Road and Lake Avenue, Florida man guilty in 2017 serial killings of 4 people, Disabled veteran confronts past at Vietnam Memorial Wall. The clock is now running on when, or if, Chiles Principal Joe Burgess will serve a two-week suspension for doling out extra payments to some employees without properly tracking or documenting their time. To access the English and Spanish versions, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ESEParentSurvey.To access the Haitian-Creole version, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ESEParentSurvey_HC. Chiles High; Public Chiles Calendar; Visit Us. 2022-2023 Student Parking Information and Off Campus Lunch Pass. WCTV was told by one staff member that there were roughly 20 people who spoke with investigators at Chiles. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The decision to suspend Chiles Principal Joe Burgess for two weeks without pay was upheld Tuesday night by the Leon County School Board. Webster asked in a phone call with the Tallahassee Democrat. Any previous district wide audit, that the superintendent should have conducted prior to this attack on Mr. Burgess, would have found any wrongdoing prior to this investigation. Burgess, however,saidhe was not violating a clear policy, that the school board didn't prove they trained him on a clear policy and that he was unaware of violating a school board procedure thatsays it'sthe principal's responsibility to review records for accuracy and approve them. Substantial concerns about Burgesss conduct with regard to a $10,000 payment to the Chiles High School football coach, Kevin Pettis. Chiles High School Principal Joe Burgess says the allegations are not becoming of employees. According to the review, Burgess "falsified District records by approving, signing, and submitting payroll documents he knew or should have known were inaccurate.". ABC 27 first reported on the. 19662022 Bond Elementary School. much ado about nota except a continued and systemic waste of tax dollars on all parts. Leon County Schools board members early Monday morning rejected Chiles High School principal Joe Burgess' objections to a suspension that was upheld by Judge G.W. I am a parent of three former Chiles students and worked closely with Principal Burgess as the SAC Chairperson and various other volunteer positions. There was in most cases no expectationthat employees wouldtrackor submittheir hourlytime.
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chiles high school joe burgess 2023