IRMO, S.C. — Lexington-Richland 5 School District attorney Andrea White notified the board on Wednesday that she would no longer be working for them, with a letter of resignation.
School Board Chairwoman, Jan Hammond, says she and the rest of the board feel completely blindsided.
"I've always had the highest regards for Mrs. White, not only in legal counsel but I felt like she was a friend to the district for many years and I really thought she might of talked to me about something like this," Hammond stated.
In her resignation letter, White called the board "dysfunctional" and said the way the board is operating is in a manner that is "not conducive to the well-functioning of the district".
Hammond believes this part of the letter could be referring to the procurement audit that the district revealed in June.
The first phase of the audit stretches back to 2012, and the school board paid to investigate years going further back as well.
"You can't help but wonder -- did the audit bring on things that were too hard for her to remain in our counsel," Hammond said.
White specifically stated she felt that the board was "ignoring her advice".
In her letter, White said, "When a school board fails to consult me prior to making a legal decision that could adversely impact the board or the school district; ignores my advice; and/or does not provide complete and accurate facts about a matter, I am placed in a position where I cannot represent that client without compromising my own integrity and professional reputation."
The school district says despite losing White, they will continue with the procurement audit.
According to Hammond, White never served as General Counsel for the district because they had several lawyers working for them at once. The board voted to hire a General Counsel in May, and officially appointed Ward Bradley to be the new district General Counsel.
News 19 also reached out to Attorney Andrea White directly to see if there was anything outside of the letter she wanted to share, but we did not get a response.