A Riverwood International Charter School athletic director was relieved of his duties Wednesday and sent home for two days pending an investigation into parental complaints about the mistreatment of competition cheerleaders.
The faculty member, Jeff Holloway, a special education teacher at the Sandy Springs school, has been accused of not following practice schedules, being verbally abusive and allowing the team to be overworked as it prepares for competition.
The school’s interim principal, Dennis Kostulakos, is looking into a list of complaints, Fulton County Schools officials said.
“It’s a number of things,” said district spokeswoman Samantha Evans. “He is supposed to come back. I haven’t been told when. He is not on official leave.”
Evans said the probe could be completed as soon as Monday. Another faculty member is filling the part-time role of athletic director while Holloway is out.
Holloway said the accusations against his leadership are false. He said he has been a three-time Athletic Director of the Year for Region 5-AAA since 2008.
"The problem is that I said no cheerleaders are allowed to participate in any activity unless they are 100 percent medically cleared," he said.
This is the second probe against Holloway since the start of school. Parents also have brought concerns to the district about the mismanagement of gate receipts, Evans said.
Fulton County Schools human resources investigators are looking into those accusations, Evans added.
A school audit found that Holloway's department did not always follow district protocol for issuing cash receipts, cash disbursements, financial reporting and payments for athletic events services.
"There has been no misappropriation of any funds," Holloway said, adding that he invited parents to check the books. "The athletic department has nothing to do with gate receipts. It was all done through the front office."
The school's former principal, Eddie Echols, resigned in late September after a school audit showed that a school-issued American Express card was inappropriately used. There was no embezzlement found or criminal charges filed.
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