In the spring of 2014, when the Columbus Municipal School District began its search for its fourth superintendent in as many years, we urged the school board to bring in a leader whose credibility, integrity, transparency and sound judgment would mark a turning point for a troubled school system.
Now at its halfway point of a three-year contact, Dr. Philip Hickman’s tenure as superintendent has become known more for its lapses than its achievements. His term to date has been marked by obfuscation and poor judgment.
This week, a hiring decision has once again called into question Hickman’s judgment.
Monday evening Hickman recommended Frederick Hill as the new principal of Columbus High. Hill was fired as superintendent of the Natchez-Adams County School Board just a week ago. In September, a federal court awarded a $668,000 judgment against Hill, an assistant superintendent and the school district over what the court determined to be an act of discrimination against a white principal in the district. Included in that judgment was penalties of $75,000 against Hill personally.
Two other lawsuits against the Natchez-Adams district, both involving personnel matters, are currently being litigated.
In 2014, a petition effort to remove Hill as superintendent had the support of parents and the Natchez NAACP, according the Natchez Democrat.
When confronted with this information during the school board meeting, Hickman seemed to suggest that Hill’s lapses in judgment were not as significant since he was being considered for a principal’s job and not a superintendent position. He also recommended Hill be hired because the other two finalists for the job had already taken other jobs.
The recommendation to hire Hill and the reasons given by Hickman for that recommendation defy logic.
This is the latest in a series of missteps that began almost from the moment of Hickman’s arrival as superintendent, beginning with recommending his wife for a position in the district in his first board meeting as superintendent and the fiasco involving his wife’s uncle, Leslie Smith, who was hired for the position of director of schools on Hickman’s recommendation.
In the face of criticism over attempts to hire Smith, Hickman announced later that week that Smith had declined the job and the position was eliminated. Smith, disputes Hickman’s account, and currently has a federal breach of contract lawsuit pending against the district for not being hired for that position.
There is also the matter of the textbook issue. Upon his arrival, Hickman said $505,000 in textbooks purchased months before his arrival would have to be replaced.
His initial assertions that the books could be resold for close to the amount the district paid proved to be inaccurate. Ultimately, the district received $159,000 from the book resale, a net loss of almost $350,000.
In the 18 months since his arrival, Hickman’s conduct and performance as superintendent has been marked by a series of questionable decisions and actions. We see no evidence of that trend abating.
As the school board began its search for a superintendent in 2014, we urged the board not only to choose wisely, but to assert its role in holding that superintendent accountable.
Today, we believe, the board must fulfill that duty by stopping to consider whether it is in the best interest of the district — its students, parents, teachers, staff and taxpayers — for Hickman to remain as superintendent.
To this point, the board has served as Hickman’s enabler, rubber-stamping the superintendent’s decisions with little discussion.
Clearly, this is a trend that must change.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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