Superintendent steps down from job for now as construction investigation widens

Written By: Jonathan Cribbs
2/26/10
Categorized in: DeKalb News, Education

DeKalb County schools chief Crawford Lewis temporarily stepped down from his job Feb. 25 after local law enforcement officials raided his home and district offices – the most recent development in a months-long investigation into the district’s construction program.

The decision was announced following a three-hour emergency school board meeting called after board members awoke to discover Lewis had been wrangled into an investigation involving former district Chief Operating Office Pat Pope. District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming is trying to determine whether Pope illegally steered construction contracts toward her husband, architect Tony Pope, or contractors he was working with.

It is unclear how long Lewis will be gone from the superintendency. School board Chair Thomas Bowen said he could return after the investigation was completed or when the board felt it was appropriate to invite him back. Regardless, the board’s tone was supportive of Lewis, and two board members said they disagreed with the change, abstaining from the board’s vote.

“(Lewis) fears that if he remains at the helm, the investigation and the press coverage it has incited will become a distraction,” Bowen told a small group of reporters shortly before 8 p.m.

Board Vice Chair Zepora Roberts was one of the abstainers. Rather than accept his temporary resignation, Roberts said the board should have stood up for him.

“Actions speak louder than words,” she said. “Our superintendent has not done anything wrong. I am in support of him.”

Ramona Tyson, the district’s deputy chief superintendent of business operations, will replace Lewis, who will retain his $255,000 salary while on leave.

The board spent three hours behind closed doors to discuss the events, and Lewis did not appear before reporters or the public when the board returned to open session to vote. Board members also declined to answer questions after the meeting, saying, “No comment,” as they shuffled behind closed doors again.

The district released copies of two search warrants for the district’s headquarters on North Decatur Road in Decatur and the Sam Moss Center in Tucker. Items law enforcement officials searched for included:

All records pertaining to gifts received by Lewis, Pope and other district employees from vendors or contractors
All records pertaining to the purchase of district vehicles for personal use by Pope and Lewis
All records of communications between Lewis, Pope and school board members regarding construction projects under investigation and then larger criminal investigation into Pope
All calendars and journals pertaining to Lewis

Investigators spent hours in Lewis’ Stone Mountain home, collecting hard drives and other documents.

Comments (10)

#10

b smith

Said this on 5/29/10 At 01:01 am

In reply to #3

You are so correct. Our own board members and adminstrators are in the system for their personal gains. We as parents in our communities are the primary reason for the failure of our children. We are not as actively involved in insuring that our children get the best education by first raising our level of education for our children. Children succeed in what they are expected to succeed in and when they get the appropriate support. Asian parents are more likely to expect their children to succeed in the science, math and technology areas. They provide the environment and support so that their children can succeed in these areas and they do. White parents expectations are more diverse but the focus is primarily the academics such as English, math, science, social studies, technology, etc. Hence, their children succeed academically. Black parents expect their children to succeed in sports and cheerleading. We give them cups and helmets and turn them into street beggars for "sports" related activities. It's no surprise that our children succeed in sports. The problem with this is that it is so much harder to earn a living or be financially successful when you sacrifice academics for sports. Imagine how much better our children would do if we gave our children the same level of academic support as other ethnic groups give to their children. Our children need the support of their fathers and their mothers. Too many of the black fathers are missing from their children's lives. When black males get involved with our children, it's typically sports related. This is a start but think of how much more of a positive impact it would be to see our men mentoring our children in much the same way that other men from other ethnic groups. I say to our men, if you have a child regardless of your relationship with their mother, please get involved with your children's lives in a positive way. It's your responsiblity to do.

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Doug Jackson

Said this on 4/18/10 At 10:40 pm

In reply to #8

Dr. Lewis and I attended high school in Monticello, Georgia. I donot think that he will do any thing un-ethical to deprive our children of their education. Dr. Lewis is and has always been a caring person. When the investigation is complete, I hope that the naysayers have the courage to say that they were wrong and apologize to Dr. Lewis.

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Indypendence

Said this on 3/2/10 At 12:23 pm

The good 'ole boy network doesn't work for black folx!! How did he ever think he was gonna get away with this mess.

All I know is this, I have four children that attend DeKalb County schools. They are in K, 5th, 8th, and 9th grades; while they do well in school, I am sick and tired of having to send them miles away from their homes for them to attend school with people that care.

I want to be proud of my neighborhood and support the schools and teachers and administrators in my neighborhood. Not Chamblee. Not Druid Hills.

We as a community have to fight for our kids and our schools in our communities. We have to be at the schools, we have to attend board meetings, WE HAVE TO and stop sulking and complaining about what we ain't got.

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Home Owner

Said this on 3/2/10 At 10:10 am

We need to fire the entire school board. They have been ineffective in their jobs and our schools in Dekalb have been deteriorating to the like of Clayton county.

These board members will do the citizens of Dekalb county if they resign voluntarily. We have a system with budget shortfall, pay cuts, pay freeze but we got $15K for the supritendent. Sounds like the boards are in the pocket of Lewis.

The ones that suffer in the end are the children of Dekalb county. It is about time we get competent board members that can go and hire a qualified supritendent that can come in and do some major house cleaning and set us straight to academic excellence again. from Dr. Brown to Dr. Lewis, it is more of the same.

Reply to this Comment

GreenField

Said this on 3/1/10 At 03:53 pm

This is the proverbial tip of the ice berg, there is MUCH MORE to come with this one. This is the good-ol-boy south working its magic and they got caught - red handed. Serves them right.

Bad news for us - this is a temporarily effect since Lewis and Pope and the rest of the troop will get jobs somewhere else.

The real bad news - our children only have one shot at a good education. They are the ones who will be negatively impacted here. These overpayed clowns need to go, they only have themselves in mind when stuff like this happens. They could care less about your children.

Question: Is there a clause in the district charter that permits the county tax payers the ability to have a mid-term re-vote based on material events? This is such a material event. As tax payers, we elect these people, we should also be able to remove and replace them with effective non-partisan, non-racially driven professionals. We should be able to take this opportunity to bring in new fresh - UNBIASED - views on how to clean up this mess.

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Deliverance

Said this on 2/28/10 At 08:34 pm

I can't believe that Board members are actually supporting him. VOTE THEM OUT ! How does Crawford think he can be effective should he return? This man is totally delusional.

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mishmarsh

Said this on 2/28/10 At 04:44 pm

I have had enough with the bs...Dekalb County Schools are a mess to say the least and good teachers are becoming increasingly frustrated with Administration. Please show these folks the door. Also, my child (who is very bright and well behaved) lives within 1 mile of her middle school but may have to go to another middle school 3-4 miles away because the school closer is a Magnet????go figure...I have had enough...school uniforms would solve some of our issues? really? Stop paying all these people so much to do nothing! Who the hell gave these people the right to hijack the system.

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Ramzad

Said this on 2/27/10 At 07:48 pm

Here again is evidence of the confounded reality of black people in America. There is strong evidence that the very schools that can't seem to get anything right about preparing our young people for the future are being ripped off by the very people we
have entrusted with the duty help us out out of social and economic dungeon..

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Susie

Said this on 2/26/10 At 09:11 pm

Dr. Lewis and his cronies need to be investigated more thoroughly. Board members need to be recalled and replaced. It's time for this to stop. Take back Dekalb schools now!

Reply to this Comment

Concerned

Said this on 2/26/10 At 04:47 pm

Dr. Lewis states that he felt like the investigation would be a distraction to the students and the schoo system's employees. Did he not think accepting the raise would be a distraction? Did he not think that imposing more work and less resources on employees would cause a distraction? NEWS FLASH, Dr. Lewis, we were already distracted!!!! I hope everything works out for you, but you stepping down at this point is not going to make the other distractions go away.

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