Candidate stresses fairness, documentation and board counsel for employee terminations

Dr. Crabtree told the Coffee County Board of Education that terminating an employee—particularly a tenured staff member—must follow clear expectations, documentation, and legal counsel.

"Fairness above everything. The policy states that if a tenured employee is going to be terminated, there must be documented reprimands and then an improvement plan, unless there's grounds for immediate dismissal," Dr. Crabtree said. "If a tenured employee was going—we were looking at terminating a tenured employee, I always want to contact the board attorney to make sure that we were following all the steps necessary to do that. You have to stick to the facts."

She added that supervisors should not handle such actions alone and that another supervisor should be involved. Dr. Crabtree repeatedly framed decisions around "what's best for students and the district, not personal agendas."

Why it matters: Employee discipline and termination procedures involve legal and contractual obligations, particularly for tenured staff. Adherence to district policy and consultation with legal counsel reduce legal risk and protect due process.

Details and context: Dr. Crabtree recommended maintaining clear expectations for all employees—friends and others alike—and relying on documented corrective steps before termination except in cases with immediate dismissal grounds. She emphasized factual record-keeping and staff support rather than unilateral action.

Ending: The candidate did not propose policy changes during the interview; she described how she would follow existing procedures and involve the board attorney when tenured-employee termination is being considered.