Skiatook School Board Discusses Future Of Suspended Superintendent

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

SKIATOOK, OK -- The Skiatook school board met behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss the future of the district's superintendent.

The school board took no action and had no comment on the status of suspended Skiatook Public Schools superintendent Gary Johnson.

That had some parents expressing their disapproval without saying a word. Some held signs reading, "Fire Johnson!"

Parents were not allowed to speak at Tuesday's meeting, but they still wanted to let the school board know where they stood. They want to see Johnson fired and they say if the board can't make that happen, they should leave too.

"What we're trying to do is say, ok it's time for the school board to lead or get out of the way," said Rob Ridenour, a Skiatook parent.

Skiatook's school board landed in the hot seat in February, when a state audit revealed the district wasted more than half a million dollars. For example, the district paid for three cases of mops, but only got three individual mops at a cost of $180 each.

Superintendent Johnson was in charge of purchases, but has denied any wrongdoing. The school board suspended him at the beginning of March. But he's fighting for his job and remains on the district's payroll.

"And so we're still paying for this guy's employment. So we're trying to tell the school board enough time has passed. We're ready for him to be terminated," said Ridenour.

Although discussing Johnson's job was on the agenda, the board adjourned their meeting without saying a word publicly about the superintendent.

"Again, we're just kind of disappointed. We don't have any information again about when they're going to set a due process hearing the time, the date or anything," said Dianne Shaw, a Skiatook parent.

And when The News On 6 tried to get answers, we received no comment. With no comment and no action, folks who were willing to give the board the benefit of the doubt before, are running out of patience.

"We've come to the point where it's dragged on to such a degree and they've not allowed us to speak to them and not told us what they're thinking to such a degree that we're thinking, ‘I don't know what to think about you people anymore. It's time for you to lead or get out of the way,'" said Ridenour. 

The school board has said before it can't comment for legal reasons. The News On 6 tried to call their lawyer, but did not get a response. There's a petition circulating calling for a grand jury investigation into Skiatook schools. There's one week to go and organizers say they're close to their goal of 5,000 signatures.

4/13/2010  Related Story: Skiatook Parents Petition Signatures For Grand Jury