Date, Venue For Principal's Hearing Yet To Be Determined

Glenwood Community Schools Superintendent Devin Embray expects a hearing concerning Glenwood Community High School principal Kerry Newman’s job status to take place in the coming weeks, but the date and location are yet to be determined.

In a closed-door meeting on Feb. 12,  the Glenwood School Board voted unanimously to consider terminating Newman’s contract.
 
Newman had been the subject of an investigation by Embray since being placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 18.

Last Tuesday, Feb. 19, Newman filed paperwork with the district and the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners to contest her termination. According to state statute, Newman’s hearing must be held “no sooner than 10 days and not later than 30 days following the administrator’s request unless the parties otherwise agree.”

As of Monday afternoon, Embray said the district’s attorney, Brett Nitzschke, and Newman’s attorney, Richard Gaumer, had begun the process of selecting an administrative law judge to preside over the hearing. The statute calls for five qualified administrative law judges to be submitted to both parties with each side then taking a turn eliminating a name until just one remains. This final name will then serve as the administrative law judge who will then set the date and time of the hearing.

“Once an administrative law judge is assigned, it’s all based on their schedule,” Embray said. “They (the administrative law judge) try to resolve most issues before going to district court. They’re used to weeding out different cases to avoid district court and more potential costs.”

The administrative law judge’s finding is legally binding. Any further appeals by either side would be through the district court.

Embray did say the hearing would be open to the public and will take place in Glenwood, but the exact location has yet to be determined.

“It kind of depends,” Embray said of the hearing venue. “We don’t want to purposely put it in a place to be accused of trying to allow tons of people to come and we don’t want to be put in a place to be accused of not allowing people to be in.”

School board meetings are typically held at the high school media center or the central office board room.
The formal reasons given for the board’s motion considering Newman’s termination included, “inappropriate relationship with a district employee, unprofessional conduct, poor judgment, inappropriate use / misuse of district resources and (being a) poor and ineffective role model.”

Newman has denied these allegations. She declined to comment when reached at home Monday. Attempts to reach her attorney were unsuccessful.