BOE meets following incident involving Wetherington
After a Friday afternoon incident involving Polk School District Superintendent Darrell Wetherington — who has been the subject of allegations concerning improper conduct — board of education members met Saturday morning for an emergency meeting, but made no personnel decision.
Almost immediately after opening the meeting, the board voted to enter into an executive session to discuss a personnel issue. It was the second time the board met for an emergency meeting in the past weeks, after an investigation into allegations against the superintendent started in January.
The Cedartown Police Department released a report Saturday morning — based on information from school resource officers Kevin Young and John Pilgrim — centered on an incident between Darrell Wetherington and his estranged wife and teacher, Jennifer Wetherington, on the campus of Westside Elementary School on Friday.
The Wetheringtons are in the process of getting a divorce, the report states.
According to the report, Darrell Wetherington went to the school around 1 p.m., claiming that his wife had asked him to deliver a Diet Coke; he was in his wife’s classroom while she was teaching.
Young’s narrative in the report states the superint endent said several times “he didn’t do anything wrong and that he felt like he was being followed.”
Pilgrim arrived shortly after Young, and Darrell Wetherington exited the classroom and came into the hallway to speak with Pilgrim, the report states.
Pilgrim’s statement also includes stated concerns — he relayed to the superintendent — from himself and others over the domestic situation between t he Wetheringtons.
Pilgrim’s narrative indicated that Jennifer Wetherington did ask the superintendent to bring her a drink, but she told Pilgrim “she didn’t feel threatened but she didn’t think he ought to be there.”
Darrell Wetherington was allowed to finish the conversation with his wife before he left the campus on his own and no charges were filed, the report states.
When asked about the incident, Darrell Wetherington said he had no comment on the matter.
Tommy Sanders, board chair, also had no comment on the issue.
The board held the emergency meeting at the offices of McRae, Smith, Peek, Harman and Monroe. Michael McRae oversaw Saturday’s meeting on behalf of the firm, whose contract as the board’s attorneys was reaffirmed during a Tuesday session.
In January, the Polk County Standard Journal sought information on the personnel investigation through an open records request from the law firm, along with Dar- rell Wetherington’s personnel file.
At the time, attorney Robert Monroe released a copy of the superintendent’s personnel file with some personal information redacted. And in a letter from Monroe denying requests for information on the investigation, the attorney wrote, “The district is also in possession of correspondence and other documents submitted to the human resources director from district employees regarding this complaint and other possible complaints.”
At the time of the Standard Journal’s request, the investigation was still pending according to Monroe’s letter.