In The Newsroom Keith Sherley has a follow-up report to a story we first reported on March 27 of 2008
An incident occurred at JCM involving gasoline poured down a drain adjacent to the grounds keeping maintenance shed. The fumes caused the early dismissal of students. An investigation was initiated by JMCS Central Office, Madison Co. Sheriff’s Dept., Jackson Fire Dept and Mad Co. EMA.
Bob Sadowski and Dale Catlett conducted the interviews at the request of the Superintendent. Mr. Catlett at that time filed a report saying that maintenance or grounds keeping had nothing to do with the incident.
By May 5th of 2008 all of the agencies had submitted information or reports to the Superintendent stating that responsibility for the incident could not be determined. The case was closed.
On January 8th of 2009 relevant information to the gasoline incident was developed which caused the case to be re-opened. This time sufficient evidence was established to determine that Head Grounds Keeper David Moore was the responsible party and that Dale Catlett had the responsible party’s name the day of the incident by two people but failed to report the information to his superiors. On January 21st Dale Catlett submitted his letter of resignation effective February 9th and it was approved. David Moore was suspended 2 weeks without pay and demoted to grounds keeper.
The above facts were all obtained by a
time line from the investigation file.
It is also documented in the timeline that on January 23 three board members contacted the superintendent presumably as a result of being notified of the new developments and stated or implied to Dr Zambito that they had known who the responsible party since the time of the incident.
The investigation file reports that on January 23 Board member Carol Carter-Estes called Dr Zambito and told her “she had known who put the gas in the drain since Spring and was just waiting for us (the central office) to figure it out” Again according to the file Anne Henning-Rowan emailed the Superintendent the names of the four alleged participants. Nothing indicates Ms. Henning-Rowan had any knowledge prior to being given these names. Also several days prior again by info in the file Board member Grady Akins called the superintendent and told her he had known the person responsible for pouring the gas since the time it happened. He did not tell Sadowski or the Fire Dept. He said he was “waiting for you (the superintendent) to do your job.
No sufficient evidence showed that the other alleged participants were eyewitness and so no disciplinary action was taken.
For in the Newsroom Keith Sherley reporting
