DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School Board approved a settlement of over $300,000 for former Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris on Monday.
During its regular business meeting, the school board said it passed the settlement based on Watson-Harris' terms of her original contract for $325,000 plus $16,000 in attorney fees. School board members approved the settlement with a vote of 6-1.
Back in April 2022, Watson-Harris said she was "blindsided" by the school's decision to terminate her tenure.
Watson-Harris previously said her firing happened abruptly during an executive meeting, where the school board voted to approve a separation agreement effective immediately.
Watson-Harris' firing came as tensions mounted over Druid Hills High School's renovations. In 2022, videos from students went viral after they exposed mold, a sewage leak and crumbling walls at the high school. The conditions at Druid Hills High prompted State School Superintendent Richard Woods to write a scathing letter.
After Watson-Harris was let go, Dr. Vasanne Tinsley was named interim DeKalb County Schools Superintendent. After a search for a permanent superintendent, Dr. Devon Horton was approved for the role.
His contract end date is June 30, 2025, but Horton and the board have the option to extend it for a third year.
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