Kershaw board forwards complaint to State Board and votes to suspend and dismiss educator after executive session

The Kershaw County School Board of Trustees on Jan. 14 moved in and out of executive session to discuss personnel and contractual matters and then voted in open session to act on two employment-related motions.

Following executive session, a board member moved to "vote to send a formal complaint to the State Board of Education requesting that appropriate action be taken against employee designated A, a professional employee of Kershaw County School District who, pursuant to South Carolina code annotated section 59 25 5 30, breached their employment contract with the district and failed to report to work." The motion was put to a voice vote and the board announced unanimous approval.

A second motion asked the board to "conditionally accept the superintendent's recommendation that employee be a continuing contract educator be suspended and immediately dismissed from employment subject to the board's duty to review the matter on the merits pursuant to South Carolina law should the individual request a hearing." That motion was seconded by Jean Cameron and also carried by unanimous voice vote.

The motions were moved and decided after a closed session that the board described in open session as covering resignations, retirements, employment, assignment changes and contractual matters for certified and classified personnel. The transcript names the legal citation cited during the formal complaint motion as "South Carolina code annotated section 59 25 5 30." The board did not provide additional details about the specific allegations or the identity of the employee in the public portion of the meeting; the motions reference the employee only as "employee designated A." The board indicated the decisions are subject to statutory review procedures, including the right of an employee to request a hearing under state law.

The board then adjourned; a closing prayer concluded the meeting.