Grounded Jasper County Schools superintendent denies wrongdoing in first public statement post suspension (2024)

RIDGELAND— Jasper County Schools Superintendent Rechel Anderson denied wrongdoing in her first public statement since the district board placed her on administrative leave.

"I learned of this via the media, not from the Board. I have yet to be provided specifics as to why I have been placed on leave or what is being investigated," she said in a statement through her Columbia-based attorney, Elizabeth Millender.

"I have not done anything to warrant this action by the Board. I have not engaged in any misconduct or done anything to violate District policy."

The school board voted to place Anderson on leave pending an investigation during a July 16 meeting. Board members have not disclosed why they suspended the school chief, nor released any information on what entity will conduct the ensuing investigation.

Board chair Priscilla Green and an attorney representing the district did not respond to questions from The Post and Courier. Green refused to comment about the matter after a meeting earlier this week.

The move to ground Anderson occurred weeks after the newspaper requested travel and lodging expense records from the district. An investigation into purchasing card spending revealed school officials spent more than $228,000 on trips since 2020, flying to Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and India.

Since Anderson's timeout, the school board has continued holding secretive meetings. As with the July 16 meeting, they posted the agenda at the district center but not online. The agenda said the meeting was virtual, directing participants to call a phone number to receive access. The call went to an automated general school district line with a menu of options. When a reporter tried various extensions, the only employee who answered was unable to provide access.

During another meeting, the school board spent around two hours in executive session and emerged only to adjourn. None of the recent convenings have been streamed to the district website. Although the new school year is weeks away, one parent said they have not received formal communication about the change.

Anderson became the Jasper County superintendent in 2018 after a brief and contentious stint in Florence County District 4.

The State Board of Education reprimanded Anderson in August 2019 for acting unprofessionally during her Florence tenure. Among other infractions, the report detailed how she left the district on multiple occasions without documentation, and then requested a full payout for the leave time she had taken, including two days interviewing for another job.

She also did not return to the Florence district after a shooting killed two students, choosing to instead continue to tour the Jasper County schools, according to the reprimand.

Former State Superintendent Molly Spearman fired Anderson after the state took over the Florence district, court records show. The state assumed control of the district due to chronic financial instability. Spearman at the time cited a shrinking student population and bloated administrative salaries. The district also missed a financial audit. Its financial struggles predated Anderson.

Anderson sued the district, the state Department of Education, and Spearman, saying that she was owed a year's salary as severance, or $115,000. That case was ultimately settled. The newspaper has submitted a request to the state for the amount.

Included in the legal filing is Anderson's contract with the Jasper district from July 2018 to June 2021. The document shows Anderson would be paid a $145,000 salary, as well as 20 vacation days, a $650 monthly in-district travel bonus, and reimbursem*nts from the board for state-approved, out-of-district travel.

The Jasper County School Board will hold a meeting July 29 at 3 p.m. at the Hardeeville Campus. Board action is anticipated, according to the agenda.