A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMISSION OF KNOX COUNTY, TENNESSEE, REQUESTING THE KNOX COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH REVIEW OF WHETHER POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WERE IN PLACE, WERE FOLLOWED, AND WHETHER ADDITIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE NECESSARY TO GUIDE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF IN INVESTIGATING, REPORTING AND COMMENTING ABOUT SENSITIVE AND POTENTIALLY CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS TO THE MEDIA IN LIGHT OF THEIR RECENT INVESTIGATION, AND REPORTING THEREOF, INTO ISSUES AT POWELL HIGH SCHOOL.
WHEREAS, on July 25, 2006, Knox County Schools spokesman Russ Oaks was reported in the Knoxville News Sentinel as stating that Knox County School officials, specifically supervisors in Knox County Schools Human Resources Department, had “informally” “for about a month” been looking into allegations concerning Powell Assistant Principal Kim Kallenberg and a student at Powell High School for having an inappropriate relationship and for improprieties relating to students’ grades; and
WHEREAS, on July 25, 2006, Oaks reported that Powell Assistant Principal Kim Kallenberg and Powell High School Principal Diane Psihogios had been placed on administrative leave, with pay, on July 14, 2006; and
WHEREAS, on July 25, 2006, Oaks is further quoted and reported in the Knoxville News Sentinel as saying that “We are investigating allegations of grade changing or inappropriate access to grades as well as an administrator having an inappropriate relationship with a student at Powell High School, and that (administrator is) Kim Kallenberg, an assistant principal”; and
WHEREAS, on July 25, 2006, Oaks is further quoted and reported in the Knoxville News Sentinel as saying, among other things, that: “The grade allegations involve a number of people”; that whatever the outcome of the investigation, Kallenberg will not return to Powell High School; that the sexual allegations were forwarded to the Department of Children’s Services; and that Knox County Schools is looking into whether “students (were) getting inappropriate course credit – taking one history course and getting credit for another, for example”; and
WHEREAS, on August 1, 2006, in an article printed on August 2, 2006, which addressed Kallenberg’s filing a complaint with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission and the filing of a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Oaks is further quoted and reported in the Knoxville News Sentinel as saying, among other things, that: “We’ve taken what we need to take to follow up on the grade tampering (claims)” when he was asked about the removal of computers from Kallenberg’s office; that the probe into an alleged liaison and accusations of grade tampering began after supervisors in the school system’s human resources division received tips from “two or three different sources”; and that “the superintendent felt it was necessary” to reassign a secretary who worked under Psihogios and Kallenberg to Fulton High School; and
WHEREAS, on August 5, 2006, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported that “the school system has declined comment on Kallenberg’s claims” following the filing of her second complaint with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission; and
WHEREAS, on August 12, 2006, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported Oaks as saying, in response to an allegation that Superintendent Lindsey had given a false impression to the public when he spoke about the issue of sexual misconduct on a Knoxville radio program on August 10 when Kallenberg was cleared of the allegations by the school system on Friday, August 11, that Lindsey “made the decision today based on the information that was available today (Friday, August 11)” and that “I don’t think it was really a decision he could have made much earlier than today”; and
WHEREAS, on August 12, 2006, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported Oaks as saying, in response to the question of whether the school system had wrongly handled the investigation, that “No, not to my knowledge”; and
WHEREAS, on August 16, 2006, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported in an article about Kallenberg’s lawyer requesting records relating to the Knox County School System’s investigation into the allegations and any information relating to the system’s recent decision to clear her of sexual misconduct, that Oaks said, “Any response we make to this will be made by our attorneys”; and
WHEREAS, the above reports and oft quoted statements by Knox County Schools spokesman Russ Oaks call for an investigation into the manner and method that Knox County Schools investigated this matter, and, through Russ Oaks, reported and commented about the investigation and the parties involved to the media; and
WHEREAS, it is the sense of the Commission of Knox County that the Knox County Board of Education should conduct a thorough review of the investigation Knox County Schools conducted in this matter to determine whether policies and procedures were in place, were followed, and whether additional policies and procedures are necessary to guide the School System administration and staff to investigate, report and ultimately comment about sensitive and potentially confidential matters to the media.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF KNOX COUNTY AS FOLLOWS:
That the reports and oft quoted statements by Knox County Schools spokesman Russ Oaks to the Knoxville News Sentinel call for an investigation into the manner and method that Knox County Schools investigated this matter, and, through Russ Oaks, reported and commented about the investigation and the parties involved to the media.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that it is the sense of the Commission of Knox County that the Knox County Board of Education should conduct a thorough review of the investigation Knox County Schools conducted in this matter to determine whether policies and procedures were in place, were followed and whether additional policies and procedures are necessary to guide the School System administration and staff to investigate, report and ultimately comment about sensitive and potentially confidential matters to the media.
