A top Atlanta Public Schools official has been suspended after toiletries and cans of food donated for a community meeting by the National Black MBA Association were taken by district employees.
Atlanta school board executive director Howard Grant was suspended without pay for a month for his role in the incident, Atlanta Public Schools board spokesman Billy Linville said. Grant, who earns about $127,000 a year according to the most recent state data, is expected to return to work on Nov. 10.
Two other employees resigned or retired in connection with the incident. Disciplinary action for others involved is still to be determined. A police report was not filed, Linville said.
In a statement emailed by Linville, APS board chairman Courtney English said, “APS is making progress every day. And when concerns emerge, like this matter, it is the intention of APS to act decisively and to be transparent with the public.”
In the statement, English said, “Although (Grant’s) judgment in this matter was lacking, it does not diminish the great work he has done on behalf of our schools and our students.”
Grant is a district employee who provides administrative support and does other work for the school board.
The missing items were for a September town hall meeting in board member Steven Lee’s district. The district has not put a value on the items, Linville said.
Lee’s and Grant’s accounts differ.
Lee said he told Grant he could take “a few things for himself and the Board Office,” but did not give permission for Grant to distribute items to others, according to a district report.
But Grant said that before the event, Lee told him and school board staff they could “take what they wanted” for their office and to donate to the needy, according to the report.
Lee did not return a call from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday afternoon. Grant did not respond to an email to his district address this week. A listed phone number for him had been disconnected.
Several district employees told district investigators Grant told them they could take items, according to the report. Some said they were told by others, including tech support specialist Roger Clark, that Grant had authorized taking things. At least one said Grant told her to make sure anything taken was used “for a good cause.”
The employees included custodians, a security officer and administrative staff.
Grant said his staff took fruit cups and other items, according to the report. But he denied telling Clark he could take things or invite others to do so.
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