In January, Dr. Baron Davis, former superintendent of Richland County School District Two and the district’s first Black superintendent, announced his sudden resignation from the district with no clear reason why. After a six-hour board meeting on Jan. 17, his resignation was accepted, and he walked off with a pretty penny as he said goodbye to his career in education.
On Monday, WIS News 10 requested a copy of Davis’ agreement revealing his full settlement with the district. The separation includes a payout of $415,518.68, minus payroll deductions. He will also receive compensation for all of his unused sick leave and vacation days, which equates to $124,481.32, and a payout of $75,000 for “settlement for all disputed claims.” In total, the settlement comes to $615,000.
According to Davis’ attorney, Donald Gist, entering into the agreement was in his client’s best interest in light of turmoil on the school board.
“He loved his students and the administration of Richland School District number two and he wished the district well,” WIS News 10 reports.
He also shed some light on the $75,000 payout for “disputed claims.” “That would have been any other claims that dealt with any issues of emotional distress,” reported WIS News 10. “It would have been any other claims that could have come into play aside from the contractual issues.”
Davis’ resignation came just one month after the district’s Chief Financial Officer, Shelley Allen, announced she would be leaving on Jan. 27. According to her resignation letter, she stood by Davis’ leadership but cited as her reason for quitting “politics, personal agendas and individual preferences of board members and community members.” She also stated her disappointment in the outcome of an “Inspector General’s report” that she had hoped would provide justification for some much-needed changes in the district, “but the focus continues to be misdirected,” she wrote.
The report, which was done at the request of Gov. Henry McMaster, addressed the mistrust and miscommunication among the district’s board members and revealed that a mere 14% of meeting agenda items were academic-related.
Board tensions and political interference have had a hand in the state’s turnover of superintendents for several years. In June 2021, former Lexington-Richland District Five Superintendent Dr. Christina Melton stepped down from her post. Like Davis, she gave no indication as to why but one active board member at the time of her resignation cited hostility in the board and the community.
“The truth is that Mr. Loveless, Ms. Gardner and Ms. Huddle forced Dr. Melton to resign,” former board member Ed White said in a statement. “I witnessed the hostile and abusive work environment these three created for her that would make it impossible for any superintendent to succeed.”
More from DA: In a wave of superintendent hires, one school board defies strong public sentiment
