Multiple talent‑office employees tell Richmond school board of hostile work environment; board urged to commission external audit

Dozens of current and former employees in Richmond Public Schools’ central talent and finance offices told the school board on Feb. 4 that they have endured a hostile work environment under the district’s chief of talent and asked the board to order an independent review.

Speakers described a pattern of alleged mistreatment — including verbal abuse, favoritism in hiring and promotions, retaliatory discipline and the reassignment of duties without posting vacancies. Multiple employees said they had filed grievances and that an independent investigative report was underway; Allison Davis, director of benefits and compensation, asked the board for access to the completed investigation report and any earlier drafts that had been shared with the superintendent.

Several staff members said workload and staffing levels are unsustainable. Speakers from the benefits and compensation team said their unit is responsible for benefits administration for about 5,000 employees and that staff shortages and expanded duties have left specialists managing multiple inboxes and multiple positions’ responsibilities. They said requests for a desk audit and additional staff were denied and that other teams nearby had been given new hires while their unit had not.

Multiple speakers also gave first‑hand examples of mistreatment they attribute to the chief of talent. Jody Granger, who identified herself as an executive office associate in the talent department, described being sidelined and replaced in part of her role. Substantive allegations included an account read into the record on behalf of Sherry Brown (read by a colleague) alleging repeated abusive interactions, demands to resign while on medical leave, and threats regarding employment and benefits during personal hardship.

Speakers asked the board to obtain the independent investigation report, to permit a closed‑session review with board members and to commission an external audit of the talent office’s operations and personnel practices. Dr. Harris Mohammed (board member) repeated an earlier request that the board commission an external audit and asked the administration to act quickly.

Allison Davis, director of benefits and compensation, said the team had been “set up to fail” because of understaffing and overlapping demands and said disciplinary letters had been issued to her staff for missed timelines despite insufficient resources. She asked the board for prompt access to investigative materials and to consider staffing changes.

The board did not make a personnel decision on Feb. 4. Multiple members said the board’s Monday closed session can be used to surface personnel questions ahead of Tuesday’s consent agenda vote; Dr. Harris Mohammed asked that personnel actions be brought as open items for discussion rather than routinely placed in consent. Several board members and the superintendent said staff will follow up and that the independent investigation report was near completion.

Speakers asked the board to: provide the completed independent report to affected staff, consider an external audit of the talent office, and ensure that staffing and reclassification processes comply with district policy and fair‑posting practices.