State school board upholds dismissal of two Atlanta educators
The state Board of Education recently affirmed the Atlanta school district’s decision to terminate a football coach and a band director last year for how they handled school funds.
The school district fired Mays High School head football coach Corey Jarvis in September, saying more than $10,000 in funds belonging to the team was unaccounted for. Jarvis appealed, saying there was insufficient evidence to fire him. The state board disagreed in a ruling signed last week, saying his claim had no merit.
Atlanta fired Booker T. Washington High School band director James Anderson, in June accusing him of mishandling nearly $4,000 in fundraising money. Anderson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last year he was the victim of a "witch hunt" by disgruntled former band staff.
Anderson appealed his dismissal to the state board, but it concluded in a decision signed last month that he improperly collected the fees and did business with a vendor without proper oversight.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
