Atlantic school board teaches a lesson in accountability

It’s funny how a government body can learn and teach an important civics lesson in the time it takes a student to go from kindergarten through 12th grade.

In 2012, the Atlantic Community School District won a lawsuit to keep information secret about disciplinary measures taken against two employees who conducted a strip-search of five girls to try to find $100 another student reported missing.

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady wrote a dissent in the case, noting that “transparency in government surely will be thwarted” by those who can “quell public discourse and end controversies over employee misconduct with no public scrutiny by simply announcing discipline has been imposed.”

Cady observed that this approach prevents the public from measuring the appropriateness of the government’s response to misconduct in matters of legitimate public interest and constituted “a return to the government of the past and a danger to our future.”

In part to address similar concerns about secrecy in government, one of Gov. Terry Branstad’s signature contributions to transparency took effect on July 1, 2017. After years of frustration by Branstad, and Iowans generally, over the lack of public information about why governments fire employees, the Legislature amended the public records law to require that government employers release the “documented reasons and rationale” for any termination, demotion, or resignation to avoid termination.

That change worked, at least temporarily. But government officials more interested in expediency than transparency and accountability — assisted by crafty and well-paid lawyers — eventually found a way to circumvent the 2017 disclosure requirements.

Government employers in Iowa now routinely label job departures as voluntary resignations to avoid having to fire workers. By casting an employment termination as a voluntary departure, boards and agencies disclaim any obligation to document or disclose reasons for employee separations, even when settlement payments or salary continuations are involved.

However, the Atlantic school board took a courageous step last week against this tide.

On February 4, the board canceled a special meeting to approve the resignation of high school guidance counselor Jesse McCann, 32. One week later, the board met in open session and unanimously voted to fire McCann.

The district had placed McCann on paid leave after a parent called a school official on January 18 to express concerns about a staff member. The nature of the allegations against McCann remains undisclosed, but the Iowa Freedom of Information Council formally asked Superintendent Beth Johnsen for the documented reasons and rationale for the board’s decision.

Separately, Atlantic police are investigating an incident involving an unnamed school employee and one or more students.

Events across Iowa highlight the importance of how the Atlantic school board handled with openness and accountability an attempted resignation of an employee who is implicated for misconduct.

Public employee transgressions, including some that may be criminal, involve a crucial principle: The community deserves to know the circumstances behind agency demotions, discharges, and even resignations, no matter if they are voluntary, requested or coerced.

Credibility suffers when officials misuse the public access laws to avoid embarrassment caused by government employees acting improperly or illegally. 

In Centerville, the school board abused the public trust by accepting the “voluntary” resignation of high school guidance counselor Ryan Hodges following three months of paid leave for undisclosed reasons. Later, it emerged that Hodges sent inappropriate photos of himself to a female student and invited her to his house.

Similarly, the Central DeWitt school board accepted the resignation of science teacher Cody LaKose mid-year but continued paying him through the end of the school year. Only after LaKose found work in another school and criminal charges were filed did the public learn a DeWitt student had accused him of grooming and sexually abusing her in his office.

The Sioux City school board kept the public in the dark when it accepted the resignation of new Superintendent Jose Cordova in January. He had been on paid leave for two months when he resigned for unexplained reasons. The board violated public trust again by refusing to explain why he continues to be paid his $275,000 annual salary through March 31, despite not working since early November.

That is similar to what occurred In Des Moines. The school board placed chief academic officer Robert Lundin on administrative leave in October for undisclosed reasons. The board accepted his resignation in November and agreed without explanation to continue paying him $195,600 annually through June 30.

While the Centerville, Central DeWitt, Des Moines, and Sioux City school boards enabled their former employees to move to other employers without consequence, the Atlantic school board took a principled stand. First, no compensation from the government cashbox gets paid once services end, and, second, public accountability is necessary, even if it causes inconvenience or embarrassment.

Liam Spencer, a wise-beyond-his-years freshman at Atlantic High School, spoke to the school board last week and drove home the point why such public accountability is important.

“We don’t want this to happen to us again or to another school, obviously,” Spencer said.

A good lesson learned, and taught, in Atlantic. Obviously. ♦

Randy Evans can be reached at DMRevans2810@gmail.com