Friday, January 16, 2009

Lancaster ISD superintendent Lewis sent revised letter of termination

By Bill Conrad of Lancaster TODAY

Superintendent Dr. Larry Lewis.

The battle over the termination of Lancaster Independent School District Superintendent Larry Lewis took another strange turn Jan. 12, when the Lancaster school board approved an amended notice of proposed termination.

The issue passed 5-2, with trustees Marie Elliott and Ed Kirkland voting no.

“This notice focuses the allegations a little more precisely,” said James Damm, the financial conservator appointed to the district by the Texas Education Agency. “There is nothing new, it is just reworded and more focused.”

The action comes three weeks after the board voted to rehire the law firm Anderson Jones to reopen its investigation of Lewis.

The firm was originally hired Aug. 26 to investigate Lewis and issued a final report at the board's Nov. 17 meeting. The contents of that report caused the board to vote to send Lewis a notice of proposed termination, which he received Dec. 3.

Lewis has appealed the termination and a hearing will be held to decide the case. Jess C. Rickman III has been appointed to hear the case.

The first final report from Anderson Jones came to five major conclusions: 1) Dr. Lewis failed to adequately and timely communicate with and withheld material information from the board; 2) Dr. Lewis approved and made illegal zero interest loans and advances of district funds to district employees; 3) Dr. Lewis paid cash awards to employees without authority and proper funding; 4) Dr. Lewis was untruthful to the investigators; 5) Dr. Lewis exhibited a lack of serious leadership.

Kevin O'Hanlon will conduct all further litigation regarding Lewis' appeal for the school district. Board President Carolyn Morris said the move was made because the boards current attorneys, from the law firm of Henslee Schwartz, had worked closely with Lewis for several years and the board did not want their to be a conflict of interest.

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