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Goggins reopens complaint
Claims breach of agreement made in diploma scandal.
By TROY ROBERTS
troberts@lakecityreporter.com
Melvin Goggins announced Tuesday night that he has reopened his Equal Employment Opportunities Commission complaint against the Columbia School District and claimed a breach of agreement that was made following last year’s diploma scandal.
School district officials said they have kept their end of the confidential agreement made with Goggins and that Goggins was never promised a return to his old position, which has been restructured due to budget constraints.
Goggins made the announcement during Tuesday’s school board meeting. Goggins initially filed a claim with the EEOC after he was demoted and moved to another position in September after Columbia School Superintendent Grady “Sam” Markham’s investigation into the creation of several fraudulent diploma copies.
While Goggins was demoted, he continued to be paid the same salary he received in his former job as the district’s director of adult education.
A letter written by Markham in February said that Goggins did not “show misconduct in office” nor did he “exhibit incompetence.” Goggins said he entered into an agreement that month with the school district that the charges against him would be dropped, the district would pay his legal fees, he would remain in the district’s leadership pool for future administration positions and he would be able to apply for his previous position when it was advertised.
In return, Goggins said he agreed to drop his complaint with the EEOC and not seek further proceedings. Goggins was reassigned to the technology department where he has served since.
The position of adult education director has not been advertised for the upcoming school year, and Goggins said that as of July 1, he has seen a decrease in his salary which will continue into the 2008-2009 school year. Goggins said he believes that the position has not been advertised so he will not be able to apply for it and resume his job duties.
School board attorney Guy Norris said the agreement between the two parties was that Goggins would continue to be paid his adult education director salary for the remainder of the 2007-2008 school year — per his annual contract — and that if the position was advertised, he would be able to apply for it.
“The point made was that Mr. Goggins’ primary concern appears to be that in his prior employment, both before and after he was disciplined for the diploma issue, he was making a certain salary and that now, effective July 1, 2008, in the position that he now holds, that salary is less,” Norris said. “Mr. Goggins was under a contract with the district because he held a position with the administration — he had a one-year contract. That expired June 30, 2008.”
Norris said the district continued to pay Goggins according to that contract, even though he no longer held his duties as an administrator. He said after the contract expired on June 30, Goggins was to be paid at the compensation level for a person with his tenure within the district. Norris said that Goggins remains in the leadership pool, and that he is able to apply for administration level positions, but noted that Goggins did not apply for any open position.
Norris said that whether the diploma issue surfaced or not, there was no guarantee that Goggins would have been re-appointed to that position or if that position would have existed for the 2008-2009 school year.
“Nowhere in the agreement does it say there will continue to be an adult education director position or that it would be offered to him,” Norris said. “Had there been (a director of adult education position), he would have been able to apply for it, but the superintendent chose to restructure in a different manner.”
School district officials said they have kept their end of the confidential agreement made with Goggins and that Goggins was never promised a return to his old position, which has been restructured due to budget constraints.
Goggins made the announcement during Tuesday’s school board meeting. Goggins initially filed a claim with the EEOC after he was demoted and moved to another position in September after Columbia School Superintendent Grady “Sam” Markham’s investigation into the creation of several fraudulent diploma copies.
While Goggins was demoted, he continued to be paid the same salary he received in his former job as the district’s director of adult education.
A letter written by Markham in February said that Goggins did not “show misconduct in office” nor did he “exhibit incompetence.” Goggins said he entered into an agreement that month with the school district that the charges against him would be dropped, the district would pay his legal fees, he would remain in the district’s leadership pool for future administration positions and he would be able to apply for his previous position when it was advertised.
In return, Goggins said he agreed to drop his complaint with the EEOC and not seek further proceedings. Goggins was reassigned to the technology department where he has served since.
The position of adult education director has not been advertised for the upcoming school year, and Goggins said that as of July 1, he has seen a decrease in his salary which will continue into the 2008-2009 school year. Goggins said he believes that the position has not been advertised so he will not be able to apply for it and resume his job duties.
School board attorney Guy Norris said the agreement between the two parties was that Goggins would continue to be paid his adult education director salary for the remainder of the 2007-2008 school year — per his annual contract — and that if the position was advertised, he would be able to apply for it.
“The point made was that Mr. Goggins’ primary concern appears to be that in his prior employment, both before and after he was disciplined for the diploma issue, he was making a certain salary and that now, effective July 1, 2008, in the position that he now holds, that salary is less,” Norris said. “Mr. Goggins was under a contract with the district because he held a position with the administration — he had a one-year contract. That expired June 30, 2008.”
Norris said the district continued to pay Goggins according to that contract, even though he no longer held his duties as an administrator. He said after the contract expired on June 30, Goggins was to be paid at the compensation level for a person with his tenure within the district. Norris said that Goggins remains in the leadership pool, and that he is able to apply for administration level positions, but noted that Goggins did not apply for any open position.
Norris said that whether the diploma issue surfaced or not, there was no guarantee that Goggins would have been re-appointed to that position or if that position would have existed for the 2008-2009 school year.
“Nowhere in the agreement does it say there will continue to be an adult education director position or that it would be offered to him,” Norris said. “Had there been (a director of adult education position), he would have been able to apply for it, but the superintendent chose to restructure in a different manner.”
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drivers seat wrote on Jul 24, 2008 8:36 AM:
It has as many turns as the Swiss Alps.
Do I understand correctly: "he did not exhibit incompetence or show misconduct in office in a letter from Mr. Markham"? You mean the school board had the parade for nothing. We marched his name along with that of the lady involved all over the front page of the newspaper, in open school board meetings along with gossip behind closed doors for what purpose? Would this possibly be the manner in which we try to belittle people? Is there something behind the door we are are not seeing here. Your right you have a right not to create the position again; but, Mr. Goggins has rights too!
I happened to be there the night he appeared in front of the school board for the first time with an auditorium packed with supporters. I wonder how many would have been there to support someone else? hmmm enough said...This should be some very interesting reading......since I do believe it was stated by Mr. Markham the school system will be going all the way to the federal courts when EEOC ruled before. By the way I heard $10,000 was offered? Is that true? I must have missed that school board meeting too!
There is more than a diploma scandal waiting to surface. I missed the attorney fees paid. Did I miss this meeting of the school board or do we just air what we want at the school board meetings and the rest behind closed doors? I have been at meetings where the money is approved for pay outs...oh... it was a different fund. School board wake up! You stand there behind Mr. Markham when a mistake is made, he stands behind the principals when a mistake is made, principals stand behind their assistants when a mistake is make and the truth is blown to the wind regardless of who it hurts. I do remember at the school board meeting one individual indicated the report does not make any of this clear for wrong doing. That would be Mr. Johnson I do believe who disagreed. It is time for a change!
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