Slaughter out as Greencastle Schools CFO
The public portion of the Greencastle School Board meeting regarding Chief Financial Officer Clayton Slaughter's future with the corporation was more wait time than it was meeting.
Having spent nearly two hours in executive session, interviewing Slaughter and discussing the issue, the board took little time to take official action.
The matter came up third on the agenda. Board member Bill Tobin made a motion to terminate Slaughter. Fellow member Mike White seconded the motion.
The measure passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned.
It was over in about two minutes, leaving the crowd of several dozen citizens stunned at the brevity.
Board Secretary Mike Dean, who ran the meeting with no president elected at this time, welcomed the still-gathering crowd at 6 p.m.
He invited public comments, but tersely reminded the audience that only Slaughter's employment and three new hires on the agenda were open for discussion.
No one spoke up, so the board moved on to the new hires, passing them with no discussion.
Consideration of the Slaughter issue was next on the agenda, and there was again no discussion, only action.
Monday was Slaughter's first day back in the office following a remote camping trip outside the country. He was accused of failing to deposit more than $3 million worth of school corporation checks.
More than 100 checks were found in his office recently, some in the safe, others in desk drawers, still others underneath papers on top of the desk.
The CFO had been on paid leave since June 23.
The executive session was Slaughter's chance to defend his actions. However, what was said during the meeting was not made public, and Slaughter quickly exited as soon as the board announced its decision.
Asked if the board had any further comment on the matter, Dean replied in the negative.
"No, no, no comment," Dean told the Banner Graphic.
Unsatisfied with the brevity of the meeting, much of the crowd remained in the converted Ridpath Primary School classroom for some time after adjournment.
A number of questions were raised afterward, both directed at the board and at others in the audience, but board members made no comment.
The termination of an administrator and the public outcry were quite an introduction to life on the board for new members Denise Sigworth and Gary Haussin. With terms that only began on Sunday, the new members were baptized by fire in their first meeting.
The board will next meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 23 (rescheduled from Wednesday, July 11), at which time the board will also elect officers for the 2012-13 year at that time.
With more on the agenda for the regular monthly meeting, citizens with questions about other matters will have a chance to be heard. Questions remain about a State Board of Accounts audit of the corporation and some legal issues raised by Slaughter prior to his suspension.