School board authorizes payment of legal fees for two employees under policy 2-59

The Virginia Beach School Board on Aug. 12, 2025, approved two separate resolutions authorizing payment of legal fees under school board policy 2-59 for employees whose criminal charges were dismissed and later expunged.

One resolution authorized payment of $4,012 to a site-assigned substitute who was charged Dec. 18, 2023, with assault and battery of a minor; the charge was dismissed by the Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on June 3, 2024, and the record was expunged by the Virginia Beach Circuit Court on March 20, 2025. The board authorized a $2,000 payment directly to the employee as reimbursement and a $2,012 payment to the employee's attorney for outstanding fees. The motion was moved by Mr. Bowensteel and seconded by Vice Chair Weems; the clerk announced nine ayes and one abstention.

A second resolution authorized payment of $1,512 in fees and costs for a principal charged Oct. 16, 2024; that charge was dismissed by the Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on Feb. 13, 2025, and expunged by the Virginia Beach Circuit Court on April 16, 2025. The motion was moved by Mr. Cummings and seconded by Vice Chair Weems; the clerk announced nine ayes and one abstention.

Both resolutions cite school board policy 2-59, which allows the board to pay an employee's legal fees when the employee was sued or criminally charged in their official capacity and the action is later dismissed. Each resolution directs the clerk to distribute copies of the resolution to the employee, the employee's attorney, the school board attorney, the chief financial officer, the director of business services and the chief human resources officer, and to place a copy in the employee's personal file.

The resolutions do not change policy 2-59 or identify additional future actions; they apply to the individual employees named in the motions.