School Board member questions Killough
Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 1:08 pm
MILFORD – Tensions between members of the Caroline County School Board and Superintendent Greg Killough flared at the panel’s regular meeting this week.
Board member Mary Anderson called out Killough, criticizing him for saying he was caught off guard by panel’s decision at a special meeting in June not to extend his contract behind its 2014 expiration date.
“How could you say you were blind-sided?” asked Anderson, one of four board members who voted not to extend Killough’s pact.
Killough was not present at the special June meeting. When contacted about the vote later, he said, “I was caught very off guard by this.” The Caroline Progress reported that Killough indicated he was blind-sided by the board’s vote.
“You all know my contract status,” Killough answered Anderson. There was no need to vote on whether to extend his contract, he said, because it contains no clause for an automatic renewal.
Board chairman Nancy Carson, who was not present at this week’s meeting, said earlier that Killough’s contract contained a clause under which it would be extended automatically if the panel took no action in June.
Killough repeated his earlier contentions that he conferred with Carson prior to the meeting and she told him that his presence would not be needed. He vacationed in Williamsburg the week of the special meeting but offered to return for the session if needed. Carson told him his employment contract would not be discussed at the meeting, said Killough.
He provided Carson with a copy of his contract at her request, he added. Further, he said any suggestions that he withheld his contract from the board would be a “false statement.” Anderson said earlier that board members had made repeated requests to obtain a copy of his contract but it was not forthcoming.
The newspaper was the first to notify him of the board’s June vote, noted Killough.
“I clearly do see that as blind-sided,” said Killough.
“I should at least have made privy” to the fact that the board intended to discuss his employment contract at the June special session, he added.
Board member Shawn Kelley later noted that Killough’s employment contract is a public document that is available to anyone.
“To my knowledge, no is trying to hide anything,” said Kelley.
Anderson, Carson, and fellow board members George Spaulding and Tinka Harris voted earlier against extending Killough’s contract. Kelley was joined by Mack Wright in voting in favor of an extension.
The School Board is not bound by its June decision; it could vote at some point in the future to grant Killough an extension.
