The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ethics panel clears APS board member
School board told to reimburse Grant for attorney fees.
The Atlanta school board’s ethics commission cleared board member Leslie Grant of wrongdoing after a complaint lodged by the board’s eight other members.
The independent ethics panel released a statement saying its investigation “determined that no good and sufficient cause exists” to find there was a violation.
The seven-member commission also recommended the board of education reimburse Grant $2,500 in attorney fees and costs, the maximum amount the district’s charter allows the commission to recommend.
“I am obviously relieved to be on the other side of this matter, and there’s just a lot of work that we need to do,” Grant said.
Her fellow board members united in June to allege she shared confidential information about a potential district real estate deal.
They contended she told WonderRoot, an organization interested in buying a former elementary school, that the district didn’t hold the property’s title.
The City of Atlanta holds the title to it and dozens of other former school sites, prompting a dispute between the city and district. A clear title is needed to sell property.
The complaint alleged Grant knew about the issue because of confidential conversations involving the board’s legal representation.
But her attorney, Chris Adams, said information about the deed was publicly known and not a secret.
Grant said she participated in the ethics commission review and is “happy” to continue working with her fellow board members.
School board chairman Courtney English said he accepts the findings. He struck a cordial note by calling Grant a “phenomenal champion for kids.”
“This is an issue that arose. We needed to get an independent body to evaluate it,” English said. “They looked at it and they gave us the recommendation. I think we are all happy to move forward.”