Green Bay's school board meets to discuss the future of Superintendent Claude Tiller on February 17, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The school board of the Green Bay Area Public School District has released a statement in the days following former superintendent Dr. Claude Tiller’s resignation.
Earlier this month, the school board unanimously accepted Tiller’s resignation after his comments made on an Atlanta based radio show.
Some members of the community do not agree with the way the situation was handled and have since joined together in support of Tiller.
The school board’s statement aims to correct misinformation going around in the community regarding Tiller’s resignation:
The Board of Education would like to correct misinformation in the community regarding Dr. Claude Tiller, Jr.’s resignation as superintendent for the Green Bay Area Public School District. The Board is aware of threats that have been made against individuals as a result of this misinformation. It is important to note that the information the Board is able to share regarding personnel matters is restricted by laws that protect employees’ rights to confidentiality. Likewise, Board members are required to maintain confidentiality regarding information discussed during the Board’s closed session meetings.
Questions have been raised as to how the Board became aware of the Facebook video of Dr. Tiller’s interview with Dr. Adrienne. Dr. Tiller publicly shared on his personal X (Twitter) account on February 1, that he was invited to appear on the program.
After the show aired on February 6, the Board was made aware of comments made by Dr. Tiller that raised concerns of possible litigation against the District as well as comments that could impact his ability to effectively and collaboratively lead the District. The Board of Education sought outside legal counsel regarding the matter. Dr. Tiller was notified on February 7 that there would be an investigation. The investigation process had begun prior to public comments at the February 12th Board meeting regarding the video content. Allegations that the public forum comments by Ed Dorff resulted in either the investigation or the Board’s acceptance of Dr. Tiller’s resignation are false.
Because Board members had heard concerns from individuals who had watched the video or had learned about the comments recorded in the video, it was decided that until the investigation was completed, Dr. Tiller would be placed on administrative leave. He was notified of this on February 13. On February 17, the Board of Education met in closed session to discuss Dr. Tiller’s resignation proposal, and then voted in open session to unanimously accept his resignation. A joint statement was released from the Board of Education and Dr. Tiller regarding his resignation.
Allegations have been made that Dr. Tiller did not receive due process. We want to assure the community that the Board ensured that all of Dr. Tiller’s rights as an employee were respected. He was represented by his own legal counsel throughout this period of time. Once Dr. Tiller voluntarily submitted his resignation, the Board gave it careful consideration in a closed session that lasted nearly three hours, before unanimously accepting the resignation proposal. This concluded the investigation.
We recognize that the Facebook video being released after the Board accepted Dr. Tiller’s resignation has raised concerns for some community members. Neither the Board of Education nor District leadership requested that the video be removed from social media. The District was unable to release the video until a set number of days had passed, in accordance with public records laws that require informing impacted employees. Requesters of the video received a detailed explanation of the timeline. Again, as stated in the joint statement, the Board of Education and Dr. Tiller mutually agreed that his resignation was the best course of action for both parties. The Board accepted Dr. Tiller’s resignation in good faith. Dr. Tiller had legal representation throughout this entire process.
We understand that this is not what some members of the community want to hear. That does not mean we have disregarded concerns regarding equity and equality and the need for greater understanding and inclusion among all stakeholders.
The Board supported and appreciated Dr. Tiller’s efforts to spend time each day in our schools and to be visible in the community. In addition, we are committed to the academic goals developed by Dr. Tiller and the leadership team, which accelerate learning for our students who are in need of the greatest support. As a Board, we are committed to doing the hard work that is needed to move our District forward.
Following Tiller’s resignation, Jenkins & Associates LLC – the agency that helped release Tiller’s resignation statement said — he wasn’t planning to take any legal action against the district. Instead, “His immediate focus will shift to returning to his home in Michigan, where he intends to spend quality time with his family.”
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