CMS Superintendent fiasco: Where’s the beef?

The Story

The plot thickens in the CMS Superintendent Heath Morrison resignation/force out.

The Facts

– Heath Morrison resigns two years into the toughest job in Charlotte after 1) underlings complain he bullied them 2) questions were raised about some of his budget projections.

– An investigation was launched by CMS attorney George Battle, who weeks earlier differed with Morrison on whether the legal department should get raises. After his investigation, Battle showed the school board his report, but never gave it to Morrison. Some board members protested, to no avail.

– In the latest turn of this saga, a former colleague now accuses Morrison of using his CMS credit card for non-CMS consulting work. A Charlotte Observer look into those expenses found one $40 cab expense not related to CMS.

Quotes

– “If I (incorrectly used) the CMS card, that was a complete accident.” — Morrison.

– “It’s clear Morrison was railroaded.” – CharlotteObserver.com comenter

– “How can one low level worker bring down a superintendent with accusations unsubstantiated by others? It seems apparent Battle had a beef with Morrison and was going to do anything to bring Morrison down. If all they have is shallow accusations then there should be serious thought to bring Morrison back. I can only guess who Battle wants. These guys want Charlotte to be Detroit.” – CharlotteObserver.com commenter

C5’s Take

Initially we assumed the school board must have done right, since Morrison resigned so quickly. But now, as facts — and there are few solid ones — dribble out, we are wondering if Morrison wasn’t railroaded. Running our schools is no picnic and requires a strong, opinionated leader. But that isn’t the Charlotte way.

Photo: Davie Hinshaw

This story was originally published November 28, 2014 at 5:57 AM with the headline "CMS Superintendent fiasco: Where’s the beef?."