Fired Principal Wants Job Back

A week after being fired by his rival in a close race for county schools superintendent, Principal Dan Flynn Wednesday urged school board members to reinstate his job and investigate his dismissal.

In a statement issued by his lawyer, Flynn called the firing “politically vindictive” and asked the county board of education to take up the issue in an emergency session.

An attorney for the county, however, said late Wednesday that the school board has no authority over such matters. According to the state education code, only the superintendent has jurisdiction over employee issues, said Melodie Kleiman, chief assistant county counsel.

County schools Supt. Charles Weis announced last Wednesday that he had decided not to renew Flynn’s $62,000 annual contract as director of the county’s three Juvenile Court schools. Weis narrowly defeated Flynn in the June 7 election. The contract ends today.

Weis said the decision to drop Flynn’s contract was prompted by poor job performance. But Flynn, 42, said he received satisfactory or superior ratings on every job performance except for a review conducted June 21--two weeks after the election.

In that appraisal, Flynn received low marks in every category.

Flynn’s attorney, Glenn J. Campbell, said his client is appealing to the county board of education before taking other action, including possibly filing a lawsuit.

Campbell said the board has the authority to overrule Weis’ decision because Weis is still serving as an appointed, interim superintendent. In January, his term as elected superintendent begins. But Kleiman said Weis’ status as interim superintendent would not make a difference.