Nicholas Lillios, Rodney Dillard, and Christy Chritchfield, from left, cast their votes to keep Superintendent Johnny McDaniel, right, during a Bradley County school board meeting to vote on the buyout package for Superintendent Johnny McDaniel.
Johnny McDaniel, head of the Bradley County School System, listens during a meeting Thursday at the Bradley County Board of Education.
Johnny MullThe Bradley County School Board today voted 4-3 to buy out superintendent Johnny McDaniel's contract.
"It has become clear to me that I do not share a common view . . . with some members of the current school board," McDaniel said in a statement after the vote.
"I do believe the steps we are taking are in the best interest of our community," he said, before thanking supporters.
He received a long standing ovation from the crowd, which found itself in danger of being kicked out of the public meeting by Nicholas Lillios, chairman of the school board.
Christy Critchfield, the longest serving member of the Bradley County Board of Education, resigned in her protest from her 6th district seat immediately following the vote to oust McDaniel.
"I have served proudly, but now I am embarrassed and disgusted to be a member of this board," Critchfield said. "What has happened here today not only hurts education, it hurts the taxpayers of Bradley County. And I want nothing to do with it. I no longer want my name or my family associated with this current board."
Not content to stop at resigning, Crichfield declared war on the board members who ousted McDaniel.
"Starting today, I will do everything in my power to make sure every unethical board member is replaced," she said.
The board will continue to pay McDaniel's $118,285 salary and $1,005 monthly auto allowance, along with retirement contributions and health insurance for himself and his wife, through June 30, 2016, or until he finds "comparable" employment. That means the board could pay McDaniel about $175,000 in salary and car allowances plus retirement and insurance payments.
In a statement issued last Friday, the embattled superintendent said he recognizes philosophical differences between himself and a majority of his bosses on the school board.
"In my role as superintendent, to be effective, I must stand with a majority of our school board, and they with me," he said. "It has become apparent to me that this is not the situation under which I work at this time."
McDaniel's fate has been a divisive issue in the community and on the school board. Since the superintendent and the board chairman issued a joint statement Feb. 9 announcing a possible buyout deal, teachers, parents and students have signed petitions, packed a board meeting and lit up social media in a campaign to save the job of the superintendent of seven years.
One board member said her constituents were concerned about McDaniel's involvement in a controversy over Energy Manager Johnny Mull, who, with McDaniel's approval, received more than $33,000 in tax-free mileage checks between 2010 and 2013 for supposedly driving nearly 100,000 business miles.
After a Times Free Press report on Sunday revealed the payments, some constituents questioned why McDaniel wasn't fired in 2013 when the board began questioning the reimbursements.
The Bradley County Education Alliance has criticized the buyout on its Facebook page. The group, consisting of parents, teachers and community members, earlier presented a petition to the school board that held more than 1,200 signatures of people asking for McDaniel to stay.
"We are embarrassed and mortified that members of our community have behaved in such a manner and allowed this tragedy to occur," the post said.