Ex-schools chief given job with pay, no duties

The former superintendent of Chillicothe City Schools will continue to be paid his regular salary through the end of the year, according to terms of a settlement reached with the Board of Education in the Ross County district.

The settlement agreement, released by the district Monday in response to a public records request, shows that the district will also continue to pay all of Jon Saxton’s eligible retirement contribution but that he will no longer have health insurance.

Saxton resigned effective immediately last week as superintendent, and the board approved the agreement at a specially-called meeting Thursday. Under the agreement, however, Saxton will continue on as an “assistant to the superintendent” — he just won’t be showing up for work. The settlement calls Saxton for him to use his accrued sick leave through Dec. 31.

His listed salary through his district contract is about $128,000 annually.

Trouble started for Saxton last year after high school principal Jeff Fisher was indicted in November on seven counts of sexual battery, accused of having sex with students. Following those charges, the Chillicothe Gazette found evidence, through public records requests, that Saxton had been aware of allegations against Fisher before he was even hired as principal, but didn’t tell the Board of Education or take appropriate steps to talk to the student who accused Fisher.

The agreement between the board and Saxton says that none of the parties involved would comment publicly, except through a joint statement that basically thanked one another that was released Thursday. In addition, it says that if any prospective employers contact the district about Saxton, the Board of Education will provide only his dates of service and positions held.

Also as part of the agreement, Saxton will be paid a lump sum before Saturday of a little more than $16,000 for about 28 days of unused vacation and, if he stays on and uses his sick time through December, he will still be paid for what’s left of about 185 days of sick time at a rate of $588.75 a day.

He had been superintendent for seven years, and was an assistant superintendent before that.