Mark GriffithMarion County's schools chief and Board of Education members haven't heard from fellow school board member Terry Case since he turned himself in on theft charges Dec. 15.
Director of Schools Mark Griffith said Monday he has been unable to reach Case to discuss his intentions as a school board member amid felony theft allegations arising from Case's former job as executive director of the South Pittsburg Housing Authority.
"I have sent emails to board members, but as far as an individual response, I have had none," Griffith said.
Griffith said that, to his knowledge, Case has not had a conversation with any other board members or officials since the arrest. Griffith said school system officials want to know what Case's plans are for his post on the board.
Case has not returned calls to a residential phone number under his name, and his lawyer, Dunlap attorney Steve Greer, couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
Case turned himself in Dec. 15 on an indictment issued Dec. 7 by a Marion County grand jury and was released on a $10,000 bond. An arraignment hearing was held Dec. 18.
According to the Tennessee Comptroller's Office, Case requested and received fraudulent checks totaling at least $7,000 ostensibly for administering the South Pittsburg Housing Authority's summer food program. But investigators said Case admitted he took the payments because he had not received a pay raise in five years.
Comptroller's office investigators also found Case "borrowed and stored" housing authority tools, a stainless steel table, serving cart, pool chairs, rotary tiller, hedge trimmer, chain saw and a stereo system, according to state authorities. The investigation also showed commissioners for the housing authority and for the South Pittsburg Elderly Housing Authority received at least $37,975 in unauthorized compensation during 2010-2014, but officials discontinued these payments after they became aware of state laws prohibiting compensation.
Two other former housing authority employees were arrested in July during the comptroller's office investigation.
Former accounting director Janice Brooks and former public housing manager Leslie Jackson were charged with taking almost $230,000 from the South Pittsburg Housing Authority and the South Pittsburg Elderly Housing Authority over a four-year period.
During the early part of the probe, investigators said, Brooks used at least three schemes to steal at least $127,980 from the housing authorities. The schemes included making at least $100,368 in personal purchases on a housing authority credit card including hotel stays in Las Vegas, New Orleans and at a Mississippi casino.
Housing authority officials including Case confirmed an investigation was underway when the comptroller's office probe began in March 2014. Case was dismissed by the authority's board in July 2014.
The next Marion County school board meeting is Jan. 19 at 4:30 p.m. CST.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben. benton1 or 423-757-6569.