School board rejects superintendent's recommendation to place veteran employee on unpaid leave; board votes on several routine agenda items

The School Board of Manatee County voted on Jan. 21 against a superintendent recommendation to place a long-time employee on unpaid administrative leave while the employee pursues a hearing with the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOA).

Superintendent Doctor Weisong presented a recommendation arising from an internal Office of Professional Standards investigation and the district discipline committee and asked the board to move the employee to unpaid administrative leave pending a DOA hearing. The board voted 0-5 against the motion.

The employee, who identified himself to the board as Doctor Skip Wilhoite and described 26 years of service to the district, spoke during the meeting and disputed the district's allegations. "I disagree with those terms in the strongest possible way. I was attacked and threatened by a student," Wilhoite told the board, saying local law enforcement and the Department of Children and Families declined criminal charges.

Public comment before the vote included a retired district employee, Joe Roberts, who urged the board to investigate what he called mistreatment of Wilhoite and asked the board to examine the superintendent's conduct. Wilhoite also addressed the board and said he would seek a DOA hearing.

Board counsel and outside attorneys advised the board that its role would become quasi-judicial if the DOA hearing proceeds and cautioned members about ex parte communications and public advocacy that could affect the administrative record. Counsel also explained that placing an employee on unpaid administrative leave pending a DOA hearing is a long-standing practice in many Florida districts and can reduce the accrual of ongoing paid leave costs while a contested proceeding is resolved.

Board members debated the procedural question and whether deviating from past practice would set a precedent. Several members said they were sympathetic to the employee's long service and expressed concern about the lifetime impact of a termination recommendation; others said board practice and the need for a consistent approach to contested employment hearings counseled for following the superintendent's recommendation. After a final vote the motion failed 0-5.

In addition to the contested personnel motion, the board acted on a number of routine agenda items, including audits, budget amendments, facility naming and job-description updates. Several measures passed unanimously; highlights appear in the "Votes at a glance" section below.

Ending: The employee has requested a hearing before the Division of Administrative Hearings. If the DOA process issues a recommended order, the board will later receive that record for a final decision. The decision to keep the employee on paid leave while that hearing is arranged leaves the disputed allegations to be resolved through the administrative process rather than by immediate board action.