Former Columbus Municipal School District Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Hughes has withdrawn his request for a termination hearing.
Hughes withdrew his request late last week. Sources within the district said Hughes has asked to be reinstated as chief financial officer. He is being represented by attorney Dennis Horn of Madison.
Hughes was fired from his position as CFO on May 2, nine days after he and his former attorney Marc Amos met with now former superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell and board attorney David Dunn.
School board members first learned of Hughes’ termination in an exchange of emails when board member Angela Verdell sent an email to Liddell and senior CMSD office staff inquiring into rumors about Hughes’ status. In the email, Verdell also questioned the results of the April meeting took place between Liddell, Dunn, Hughes and Amos.
Liddell responded to the email by informing members of the school board that Hughes had been terminated. She did not elaborate on the decision to fire Hughes nor did she address the outcome of her meeting with Dunn, Hughes and Amos.
Hughes filed a request for a public termination hearing. The hearing was scheduled to begin today.
When reached for comment Monday morning, Hughes directed all questions to his attorney. Horn was unavailable for comment.
Hughes has been employed with CMSD for 18 years. As of February 2012, his annual salary was $84,942.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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