Chester County superintendent: ‘I don’t want to’ answer questions about grade tampering, her leave, security guards

The superintendent of Chester County schools says she won’t answer questions about an on-going state investigation of alleged grade tampering and her still-unexplained leave of absence, “because I don’t want to.”

Agnes Slayman hasn’t returned repeated phone calls and emails from Herald reporters over recent weeks as the newspaper has reported on her unexplained personal leave, tension surrounding a decision to remove sheriff’s deputies as school resource officers, and has uncovered a state Department of Education probe into possible unethical behavior.

On Monday night, following a Chester County school board meeting attended by about 100 people, a Herald reporter again asked Slayman to answer a few questions. The superintendent said, “No, ma’am,” and turned away.

When asked why she would not listen to questions, Slayman kept walking, smiled and said, “Because I don’t want to.” She then left the meeting room through a door that leads to her office within the Chester County school district administrative building.

Her refusal to answer questions on Monday night came just after the school board adjourned a nearly three-hour meeting, most of which was held behind closed doors.

Aside from a vote to hire a new teacher to deal with classroom crowding and a vote to gather more information about an undisclosed employee grievance, school board members also had little to say during the public portion of the meeting.

The board met privately to hear an attorney’s advice about several employee-related issues, including discussion of the employee complaint. About 10 minutes after the meeting began at 6 p.m., board members moved into executive session – something they are allowed to do under state law – and Slayman left with them.

Many of the people at the meeting were parents of Chester County students who told The Herald they wanted to address the school board about concerns during a public hearing. But the board has a policy requiring people to sign up one week in advance – something apparently not known by those who wanted to speak.

When the school board returned from executive session shortly after 9 p.m., the crowd had thinned out to fewer than 30 people.

Board chairwoman Denise Lawson answered several questions from The Herald following the late-night meeting.

Asked about Slayman’s not acknowledging The Herald’s questions and walking away, Lawson said she cannot require the Chester superintendent – who reports to the school board – to participate in news interviews.

Here are the questions The Herald wanted to ask Slayman Monday night:

▪ Why was she on leave for several weeks this month, and was she paid?

▪ What is the employee grievance before the board?

▪ How long has the state Department of Education been investigating alleged grade tampering, and what prompted the inquiry?

▪ Did she report the alleged grade tampering to state officials?

▪ What is the long-term plan for security at athletic events and on school grounds?

▪ What response does she have to parents who are concerned about school security services?

▪ Has she responded to recent emails and phone calls from parents who have told The Herald they’ve been unable to reach the district office with questions about school discipline and school security?

Lawson has said she cannot provide details about the superintendent’s absence and has said she cannot discuss publicly why board members have spent hours behind closed doors talking to an attorney about Slayman’s employment.

Slayman earns a $150,000 salary to lead the public school district serving more than 5,200 students. She has been on the job since January 2012, hired by the school board after the rocky, one-year tenure of former Superintendent Thomas Graves.

Parents mad about security swap

Slayman’s absence earlier this month came at a time of tension between the school district and the Chester County Sheriff’s Office, centered on a decision to oust deputies as school security.

The school district then hired a private firm to provide security guards during school hours. That apparently left a gap in security for high school football games in Chester County.

While Slayman was on leave, district officials and Sheriff Alex Underwood agreed to temporarily assign uniformed deputies to patrol football games.

Some school and Chester city officials sought unsuccessfully to extend the city’s limits to give city police officers legal jurisdiction at the Chester and Lewisville High football stadiums, which are outside the city. That led to political quibbling this summer among the school district, the City Council, the County Council and Chester’s police agencies.

On Monday night, a frustrated Calvin Clark – the parent of a Chester High School student and retired police officer – called the whole debate “back-door politics.” Other people complained about a lack of transparency over that issue and others.

Lawson has said many times in recent weeks that the quality of education and the safety of students has not been compromised by any of the board’s recent deliberations or the superintendent’s absence. She also has said she appreciates questions from parents, and that the board is “in tune” with concerns.

Grade tampering investigation

Questions also have surfaced recently about the school district’s handling of an alleged case of grade tampering. State and district officials have said they cannot disclose details about the ongoing Department of Education investigation. The agency is South Carolina’s top oversight group for education matters such as accreditation, teacher conduct and other administrative matters.

Lawson has said the Chester school district took appropriate action during the past school year, in response to allegations against an employee. She could not confirm the allegations were related to grade tampering.

“That employee is no longer working in the district,” Lawson said, without identifying the employee or the substance of the allegations.

There’s no indication from state or district officials that Slayman’s recent leave, nor the board’s frequent private meetings this month, are connected to a grade tampering investigation.

Recent Chester school board executive sessions have included talks about Slayman’s employment, a hiring decision about a teacher, and at least one employee “grievance.”

Board members have not voted this month on any issue related to Slayman’s leave or her job. It appears executive session conversations have not been about the state investigation.

On Monday night, the board voted 4-3 to look further into the apparent employee grievance, with Lawson and board members Richard Hughes and Laurens Fort opposed.

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Chester County superintendent: ‘I don’t want to’ answer questions about grade tampering, her leave, security guards."