KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo Public School officials say that contrary to what you may have heard, Loy Norrix Principal Rodney Prewitt is certified in Florida, and Alabama and certified as an administrator in Michigan, and has been for the better part of a decade or more.
He only temporarily lost his certificate in Florida which was reinstated two years after it was initially revoked and it was reinstated again 5 years after that.
In documents supplied by KPS, at the time of his hiring, he had long standing certifications in four states, seven years of positive evaluations from the Flint Beecher School District where he was working at the time, a signed letter documenting there had been no unprofessional conduct in Flint and a strong letter of recommendation from their superintendent.
Superintendent Michael Rice says despite all that, he is still concerned that H.R. missed the glitches on his record, because they could very well have impacted their decision to hire him.
Dr. Rice says in the future, they not only plan to conduct the legal requirement to do background checks on employees from out of state, but will go beyond that, using whatever record collection process is possible, including the Freedom of Information Act to get to the truth.
It has also been confirmed that the woman who filed a federal complaint against Prewitt sat on the panel that originally recommended that he be hired.
Prewitt remains on paid leave while they sort out what happened, and perhaps pending the outcome of a federal lawsuit charging him with sexual harassment, which is now in mediation.
