The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board moved to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill on Tuesday night, with a 5-4 vote to add her firing to the agenda.
Hill was not present at the dais. The board offered no explanation, but said the motion to fire Hill was for convenience, not cause. Hill was reinstated last month after a two-month investigation and suspension.
As of 7 pm, the board was set to debate and vote on the motion to fire Hill.
Tuesday's vote caps off months of uncertainty and an as-yet-unexplained investigation into Hill.
Pressure mounted after Superintendent Crystal Hill released an explosive memo last week, outlining concerns about contracts with a law firm that was routing money to Raki McGregor, a controversial ex-CMS consultant who Hill had previously cut ties with but who is reportedly close to board chair Stephanie Sneed. Hill claims she was unaware of the arrangement and believes most of the board was unaware.
WCNC also reported on an employee grievance that claimed Sneed pressured the employee to continue making payments to the law firm despite staff concerns that they might violate district policy and state law.
Sneed didn't directly address the accusations. But she said she supported the process.
"I do not believe matters were given a meaningful opportunity to be appropriately addressed before they unfolded through media leaks and public speculation," Sneed said. "Nevertheless, I support the processes that have begun and those that will follow. Outstanding questions deserve answers. Concerns deserve a fair and thorough review."
She also added that she was disappointed by how the situation was handled. She said she'd received threats, but did not specify.
"I am deeply troubled by how visceral this has become, fueled by media coverage and social media commentary, and by the threats against my personal safety," she said. "What we say, what we publish, and what we repeat have consequences. We all need to reflect on that."
On Friday, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather announced he requested a criminal investigation by state law enforcement into Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools due to “financial irregularities.” The state auditor’s office has also said it’s looking into the district. Neither have offered specific details or named a specific person or entity as a target of the investigation.
Under Sneed's leadership, the board's relationship with Hill took centerstage last April, when the board voted down Hill's budget, surfacing tensions between Hill and the board that had not been publicly evident before. That resulted in a series of tense special budget meetings and confidential personnel meetings that prompted rumors about Hill's future at the district.
The tensions surfaced after a stretch where the board appeared to have a productive relationship with Hill, and voted to extend her contract and increase her salary in December.
In June, the board suspended Hill pending an investigation — the cause of which has largely remained a mystery. The board hired law firm Brooks Pierce to conduct the probe. The firm billed CMS nearly $380,000 for the two-month probe. And in August, the board reinstated Hill, claiming it identified issues it would discuss directly with her, but did not specify.
Hill has since shared her side of things. She told WFAE the investigation focused on a misuse of federal funds, a hostile work environment and conflicts of interest involving vendor contracts. She claims the investigation found nothing, and that she was also not informed of the specific allegations.
