Testimony from Philip Hickman on Friday dominated the final day of the termination hearing of the former Columbus Municipal School District superintendent.
Hickman, who was fired by the CMSD Board of Trustees on Feb. 23, said his firing was not based on cause — despite causes the board cited in its two letters of termination — but was the last of a series of punitive actions taken against him after clashes with board members, especially Jason Spears, who is currently the board president.
Hickman also sought to turn the tables on testimony given Thursday by board member Fredrick Sparks, who used a recorded phone conversation to verify a threat of a lawsuit against Sparks if the board member did not vote to extend his contract in May 2017. Hickman read text messages from June 2016 that he said backed up early phone conversations between the two when Sparks “shopped” his vote for Hickman’s contract extension in exchange for helping a friend land a job with the district and hiring a basketball coach Sparks preferred.
“I’m glad he made the recording,” Hickman said. “It backs up the fact that Mr. Sparks had been trying to pressure me by using his vote on a contract extension.”
Rather than supporting Sparks’ claim the taped conversation verified that Hickman had threatened Sparks with a lawsuit from Hickman’s ex-wife and current wife if Sparks did not vote for a contract extension later that evening (May 8), Hickman said it showed a pattern of Sparks dangling the carrot for an extension.
Hickman said Sparks twice offered his vote for an extension in exchange for favors in June 2016.
But attorney John Hooks of Jackson, representing the school district, questioned the legitimacy of those claims, however, when Spears testified as a rebuttal witness. Hooks asked the board president about the start/end date of Hickman’s contract.
“It began on July 28 of 2014 and ended on June 30, 2018,” Spears answered.
“Why, then,” Hooks addressed the board, “would there even be a vote to extend at all in June 2016 on a contract that didn’t end until 2018?”
Hickman’s relationship with Spears
Attorney Jeff Rimes, representing Hickman, laid out Hickman’s case for a pattern of harassment by board members, most notably Spears.
“When did this abuse begin?” Rimes asked Hickman.
“Probably from the first day I was on the job,” Hickman responded.
Hickman testified that the board’s decision not to renew his contract, its decision to place him on paid administrative leave earlier this year while the board examined his use of district funds and, ultimately, its decision to fire him were all acts of retaliation.
Testimony involving the use of district funds showed a $57.05 travel credit card expense for a meal in Cupertino, California was the result of a double-charge. Hickman’s executive assistant, Gwendolyn Brooks, testified that when the district was alerted about the charge by the board, she contacted the hotel and learned the hotel had charged both Hickman’s personal credit card and his room bill for the food. She said the hotel reimbursed the district for the $57.05 charged to its travel card.
Much of the testimony revolved around Hickman’s relationship with Spears.
Former board member Angela Verdell testified that at the time she was board president (2015-17), she met with Hickman and Spears in an attempt to get the men to interact more politely during board meetings.
“When we were in the meeting, Mr. Spears said that he turned into the Incredible Hulk during the board meetings sometimes,” Verdell said.
Hickman later confirmed Verdell’s story, but in rebuttal Spears denied having met with them.
“I’ve never said I was the Incredible Hulk,” Spears testified.
A ‘hostile’ work environment
Of the eight causes for termination, half of them involved the Jan. 26, 2018, board meeting, during which Hickman read what he called a “letter of grievance” in the open session, claiming that Spears had created a hostile workplace and interfered with Hickman’s staff.
The letter of termination said Hickman “belittled and disparaged” the school board before and after reading his letter.
Asked why he chose to read the letter in open session, Hickman said he had not initially intended to do so.
“I was making a grievance,” he said. “I gave each of the board members a copy of the letter in executive session and I hope to read it then. But Mr. (David) Dunn, the district attorney, said if it was a complaint against the school board, I had to make it in open session. I had no choice.”
Hickman said he was frightened as he read the letter publicly.
“I was scared because I had to confront my abuser in this manner,” he said. “Then the abuser, Mr. Spears, was allowed to stand up and say, ‘Now, it’s my turn to speak out’ and he rams through all this false information.”
Asked by his attorney if he regretted any of his conduct during that meeting, Hickman said: “I regret that I had to confront my boss in that setting.”
Asked about his comments directed at other board members after reading the letter, Hickman said he regretted mentioning the board members by name.
“I do regret that,” he said.
Hearing officer Dolton McAlpin will put together a report on the two-day hearing and present it to the CMSD Board. The board will have 30 days to announce a ruling.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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