Fulton County school board members are holding a news conference Thursday to give an update on the district’s search for a new superintendent.

School board president Linda McCain and other board members are holding the event at Fulton schools’ North Transportation Center, 410 S. Main St. Alpharetta, at 10 a.m., according to a statement released Wednesday.

The event follows news last month that the educator Fulton initially chose to be its next school superintendent withdrew as a candidate amid criticism over how his administration handled the alleged rape of a Clarke County high school student.

Philip Lanoue, who has been school superintendent in Athens since 2009, announced last month he was no longer in the running to lead Fulton, Georgia's fourth-largest school system with close to 95,000 students.

Lanoue was named Fulton's sole finalist Feb. 5. He was to start the job May 1. He would have succeeded Robert Avossa, who left in June to become superintendent in Florida's Palm Beach County.

Fulton school officials said there were three finalists for the job. In accordance with Georgia law, the two unsuccessful candidates were allowed to withdraw rather than have their names released.

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