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For the second time in six weeks, a Memphis-Shelby County Schools official has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into an employee complaint.
The nature of the complaint against Yolanda Martin, the district’s chief of human resources, was not immediately clear Friday afternoon. The district declined to comment on the investigation, but interim Superintendent Toni Williams said in a statement that the district “investigates all employee complaints as we continue our ongoing efforts to emphasize integrity in all MSCS functions.”
Weeks earlier, the district put John Barker, deputy superintendent for strategic operations and finance, on leave following an employee complaint. The Commercial Appeal reported last month that Martin complained of ongoing race- and sex-based harassment, intimidation, and discrimination by Barker, her direct supervisor.
As of Friday, Barker remains on leave, the district said. Barker and fellow Deputy Superintendent Angela Whitelaw recently served as co-acting superintendents while Joris Ray was himself on paid administrative leave over claims that he abused his power and violated district policies. Ray resigned in late August under a severance agreement with the school board.
Board Chair Althea Greene said Friday that Martin’s leave is not related to her complaint against Barker. She declined to comment further.
The absence of two key district leaders comes in the midst of an already tumultuous school year for MSCS, as the district faces challenges such as an upcoming national superintendent search, academic recovery from the COVID pandemic, declining enrollment, teacher shortages, rising gun violence, and concerns about student mental health.
Asked about how the suspensions might affect the district’s response to its personnel challenges, Sarah Carpenter, executive director of the parent advocacy group Memphis LIFT, said: “I trust this interim superintendent and the school board to do what’s right.”
Samantha West is a reporter for Chalkbeat Tennessee, where she covers K-12 education in Memphis. Connect with Samantha at swest@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
