CCSD school members contemplate termination of LHS school counselor.
By John Brice
Correspondent
During the Chambers County School District Board of Education meeting at their offices in LaFayette on Wednesday, September 25th of 2024 there was a public hearing regarding the proposed termination of LaFayette High School counselor LaWendy Willis. Due to the hearing which transpired over several hours and went well past its allotted time by continuing until after midnight, the decision was made to suspend the hearing before the proceedings were completed and to conclude it on October 8th.
CCBOE President Jeffery L. Finch began the hearing by stating “The board set this hearing to consider the proposed termination of Ms. Lawendy WIllis. She may elect to have a public or private hearing.”
Finch then asked if Ms. Willis wished for the hearing to be public or private to which her attorney Stanley Gray responded that she wished it to be public. Continuing his statement, Finch remarked “The superintendent is present and he is represented by Mr. Robert Meadows. Ms. LaWendy Willis is present and is represented by Mr. Stanley Gray. I will ask that each member of the board, whether he or she, is able to serve as an impartial member of the administrative tribune and to arrive at a decision slowly upon the evidence presented at this time in this hearing. Any member unable to act in this such manner should say so and ask to be excused.”
Providing further detail, Finch continued “The board will listen to all the testimony and evidence and make a decision based solely on the evidence presented to us at this hearing. First the superintendent’s attorney will present the evidence to establish the reason for the proposed termination. The employee’s representative, which is Mr. Gray, may then present whatever evidence he has. Both sides may present witnesses and documentation evidence and may cross examine witnesses offered by the other side. Board members sit as a panel of judges and are to remain impartial. Board members will not be questioned by any attorney or witnesses. Board members shall have the right to ask questions of any party or witnesses.” Summing up his remarks, Finch concluded “As the administrative body we are not subject to the rules of evidence. We will hear the evidence which will assist us in making a fair decision. As president, I will use my discretion to limit and disallow certain evidence or testimony if I deem it inappropriate.”
Following statements by CCSD attorney Robert Meadows, Stanley Gray who is the attorney representing Ms. Willis, addressed the hearing. Gray began by commenting “Mr. Meadows has said a lot. What I have learned as a lawyer is not to go chasing down everything that he said because a lot of them are just rabbits that he wants me to chase. If you want to know what this case is really about, you need to look at the first three entries on this letter of proposed termination that talk about the class rankings. This is what this case is about. That covers items one, two and three. Items four, five, six, seven and eight are things that were looked for, emails that were searched on May 22nd after this. We believe the evidence is going to show that Mr. Owens, after it was determined that the chairman wanted to fire her, searched all of the emails concerning Ms. Willis.”
Gray went on to conclude “All of the email communications in school, all of the email communication back and forth, now is supposedly something that is worth discipline. No one will tell you that Ms. Willis has ever been disciplined. She has never been reprimanded. She has never been evaluated. None of it. I am breaking my rule, not to chase a lawyer, but I have to. The last thing he said is Ms. Brock-Johnson, who I think is a contract principal, said she doesn’t trust her. My item Willis 67 is going to be an appreciation award to Lawendy Willis, dated May 14th, 2024. So after she gets the appreciation, two weeks later, she gets a letter of termination. You will have to decide who you should trust.”
