CHARLOTTE — Documents obtained by Channel 9 show the CMS Board pursued an investigation into Superintendent Crystal Hill nearly a month prior to her placement on paid leave.
CMS is turning to the law firm Brooks Pierce and a pricy but accomplished PR firm to guide the district through the investigation.
The tension goes back to at least April 28. April 28th brought the spicy exchange heard across the county, moments after the CMS Board rejected Superintendent Crystal Hill’s budget
“Madam chair, if the board is directing me to amend a $2.1 billion budget, I respectfully request which part of the budget,” Hill said at the meeting.
“Dr. Hill, I understand that, and I said to you that you will get further direction, but it will not be at this time. The meeting is adjourned,” Sneed responded.
That exchange was the public’s first real insight into the tension between the Board and Superintendent Hill. Just two weeks later, the Board approved Hill’s budget after she made minor changes.
Last Wednesday, Superintendent Hill was placed on paid temporary leave. But records Channel 9 Government Reporter Joe Bruno obtained show the Board started pursuing an investigation nearly a month prior to that.
Those records show CMS entered into a contract with the law firm Brooks Pierce on May 18. The purpose was for “legal advice, counsel, and investigations as requested by CMS.”
The contract is effective through June 30 of next year. It was signed by Chair Stephanie Sneed and CMS CFO Kelly Klutz, who put her name on the superintendent or designee line.
On June 8, Brooks Pierce sent a letter to Chair Sneed thanking the Board for asking the firm to “provide advice, counsel, and confidential privileged investigation related to an employment matter.”
The documents said the hourly rate for attorneys in the firm is $275/hour. The letter said this rate is a “substantial discount.”
The letter also states the firm is working with Fitzpatrick Communications for public relations. That’s coming at a rate of $350 an hour for Robert Brown and $450 for the head of the company, Joyce Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick is a North Carolina crisis communication legend whose resume includes working on cases ranging from the Duke Lacrosse scandal to Lance Armstrong’s doping allegations.
It is unclear if Superintendent Hill knew the Board had started seeking an investigation nearly a month before she was placed on leave. Hill did not respond to a request for comment. But the budget spat was not the only sign of distress.
Channel 9 requested Hill’s May and June schedules.
Her schedule for June 1 has her down for a graduation at the Metro School. Hill was in attendance.
If you look at her schedule for June 11, you’ll see South Meck’s graduation was on her calendar. But she didn’t attend.
The same thing can be said about June 13. Her calendar said she was supposed to be at West Meck’s graduation. She was a no-show.
Aside from the Metro School, Hill appears to have skipped all graduations.
In a statement after being placed on temporary leave, Hill released a statement questioning why she is on leave.
“To this point, I have not been told what specific concerns prompted this review, nor have I been given information about how the process will work or how long it is expected to take,” she said.
Bruno asked the district and Chair Sneed when they informed Hill of the investigation. The district declined to comment.
“Due to the personal nature of these questions, we will not be able to comment at this time,” a spokesperson said.
The vote to hire the firm and what to do about Hill appears to have happened in one or both of two closed sessions. The first closed session was on May 13, the day after the budget passed.
The second closed session was last Monday, two days prior to Hill being placed on leave
Dr. Hill is not present in the video showing the beginning of either of these closed sessions. Hill was neither present nor mentioned at Tuesday night’s meeting.
As the investigation continues, there is a lot riding on it. Depending on the findings, if Hill is fired “for cause,” she is not owed severance.
If Hill is fired “for convenience,” she is entitled to a year’s salary, which is more than $340,000.
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