Source: Elizabeth Rawlins/WFXGAUGUSTA, GA (WFXG) -
UPDATE:
Today, DJJ Commissioner Avery D. Niles announced another
executive level staff dismissal at the Augusta YDC as part of his ongoing
administrative probe to root-out serious policy violations and employee
misconduct at the challenged Youth Development Campus. Today Commissioner Niles
announced the dismissal of Augusta YDC School Principal Dr. Brenda James-Ford
for withholding information about an ongoing investigation naming her in a
pending ethics charge.
During a review of Dr. Ford's education credentials, DJJ
Central Office discovered the newly hired Augusta YDC School Principal had
failed to report a letter of reprimand she received for allegations of grade
changing at another school district and the resulting ethics investigation
still pending by the Professional Standards Commission.
"When DJJ interviewed and hired Dr. Ford in July -- and
when she started in August -- Dr. Ford's teaching certificate originally showed
no adverse actions against her education credentials," said Commissioner
Niles. "But when our Central Office
reviewed all current employees' education credentials in November, we
discovered the pending ethics investigation against her was opened in May
before she ever applied with DJJ."
Dr. Ford was terminated from her School Principal
position at Augusta YDC for a violation of DJJ Professional Credential Policy
for withholding teaching credential status change information from her
employers at the Department of Juvenile Justice. Investigators have found no
indications of grade changing at Augusta YDC related to Dr. Ford's limited
period of employment at DJJ.
Since his appointment by the Governor in November,
Commissioner Niles has emphasized get-tough warnings agency-wide on policy
violations. Today's termination was
among several in a recent series of sweeping personnel actions primarily
designed to enforce safety and security reforms. The Commissioner promised the
agency will fast-track similar terminations and use other corrective measures
wherever needed.
"We've had a history of personnel changes at Augusta YDC
and there are more to come until we get it right," said Commissioner Niles. The
Commissioner has temporarily re-assigned DJJ's Regional Principal on-site at
Augusta YDC to support the YDC's lead teacher.
DJJ is currently advertising for a replacement candidate with plans to
fill the school principal position by the end of the month.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A news conference has been announced at the Augusta Youth Development Campus today at 2:30pm.
A spokesman for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice will issue an official DJJ statement this afternoon regarding recent developments in the ongoing investigations at the Augusta YDC and the resulting personnel actions ordered by DJJ Commissioner Avery Niles.
FOX54 will be in the news conference and will have the latest here at wfxg.com and tonight on FOX54 News at 10pm.
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