In an effort to close a chapter in its recent rocky history, Buford City Schools Board of Education approved its final payment to former Superintendent Geye Hamby.
During executive session of its regular meeting on Sept. 24, the board discussed the payment of $17,999.99 that included vacation pay and deducted an overpayment of salary.
“We don’t owe him one more dime,” said Board Chairman Phillip Beard. “We don’t owe severance or anything else -- just what is due to him.”
Hamby resigned Aug. 24 after an audio recording emerged in which the speaker used racial slurs repeatedly. People in the community said the voice belonged to the superintendent.
Hamby was initially placed on administrative leave after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the contents of the audio recordings, in which the person said to be Hamby refers to African-Americans as “deadbeat n-word” and even spoke of wanting to kill black construction workers who had angered him.
“My sincere apologies for any actions that may have created adversity for this community and the Buford School District,” Hamby wrote in a short resignation letter to the school board. “Thank you for your many years of tremendous support and leadership.”
The board appointed retired former Assistant Superintendent Joy Davis as his replacement. Her contract was finalized at the same meeting.
According to board documents, she will be paid a portion of an annual salary of $205,000 for 90 days. Because she’s retired from the school system, she’ll have to take a drastic pay cut if a replacement isn’t found by then.
After the three months, she won’t be allowed to make more than 49 percent of her last salary as a school system employee, according to Beard.
