SUMTER, S.C. — Sumter School Superintendent Dr. Penelope Martin-Knox is back on the job, weeks after she seemingly had left the district for good.
The district confirmed Wednesday that Martin-Knox had resumed her duties earlier in the day. At a meeting the night before, the school board voted 9-0 to bring her back effective immediately. The day before that, the majority voted against her return.
The move comes just days after a circuit court judge ruled that a deal to end Martin-Knox's employment with the district early was invalid.
"We have to set our personal agendas aside and do what's in the best interest of children and at times we allow that to cloud our judgement," Brian Alston, a board member, said. "She is a proven leader."
Last December, Martin-Knox announced that she would not seek a contract extension with the district, and in February, she got a new job with a school system in Missouri. But that job didn't begin until the summer, and she was still going to serve until the end of the current school year in June.
But on Feb. 28th, the board voted 5-4 to allow the superintendent to use all of her leave time and to pay the amount left on her contract, a deal that essentially ended her employment with the district.
A group called the Sumter County Concerned Clergy then filed a lawsuit over that decision, claiming the public wasn't given notice that the board would be talking about such a decision and that the meeting was held at a different location than originally stated in a local paper.
"It saddened me that we had to come to this point in order to get our policy makers to do the right thing," Dr. Angela Frederick, President of the Concerned Clergy, said.
Circuit Court Judge R. Kirk Griffin agreed, saying the state violated what's known as the Freedom of Information Act, which--among other things--governs how public bodies hold meetings. Griffin also said the district's agenda item about what they were discussing was "vague," and said even some board members seemed not to know this would be voted on.
"The Board’s action last night returning Dr. Martin-Knox to her position was to ensure that we are in compliance with the court’s order," Board Chairwoman Dr. Barbara Jackson said in a statement. "Our message to our community is that the Board is taking proactive steps to further our efforts to provide the best possible education to our children."
The board's search for a new superintendent continues. According to Dr. Jackson, they will be interviewing candidates for the superintendent's position during the first week of April.