Court cases that have loomed over the DeKalb County School District and its taxpayer-funded school construction program are finally heading to trial.
The corruption case against former Superintendent Crawford Lewis has been set for trial the second week of September, according to District Attorney Robert James' office. And a civil lawsuit stemming from Lewis' leadership also has been scheduled for trial, early next year.
Lewis is accused of operating a criminal enterprise aimed at stealing taxpayer dollars. He and three others were indicted in 2010, but one defendant was recently dropped from the case. The remaining defendants are former school district chief operating officer Pat Reid and her ex-husband Tony Pope, an architect who did building design work for the school system.
They're accused of stealing school construction money by Reid illegally steering business to Pope. Lewis, the indictment said, signed off on everything.
Also in court is a civil case that has already generated tens of millions of dollars in legal bills.
DeKalb has been in one failed negotiation after another with former construction manager Heery/Mitchell, as the two sides have tried to resolve a dispute that began in 2007.
DeKalb fired the company, claiming it had mismanaged portions of a $1 billion school construction program. Heery/Mitchell -- a joint venture between Heery International, Inc. and E.R. Mitchell & Co. -- sued, and DeKalb countersued.
The case will go to trial on Feb. 4 before DeKalb Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger, according to court records.
The cases are connected because Lewis and Reid were in charge of the construction program when the district fired Heery/Mitchell.
Dave Schutten, president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators, said the trial dates are a relief to parents and educators who resent the ongoing legal expense. He often gets asked about the cases, and when they'll end.
The school system's attorney in the civil case, King & Spalding, has already generated $37 million in legal bills, according to recent court records. Meanwhile, the school district has hinted that DeKalb is facing a deficit of tens of millions of dollars in next year's budget.
"Every employee I talk to, every parent I talk to, is concerned about the effect on the budget," Schutten said. "People are weary of it."
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