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Southwestern superintendent put on administrative leave pending investigation

Friday, November 24, 2023 at 12:00 AM

southwestern-superintendent-put-on-administrative-leave-pending-investigation

Southwestern Consolidated Schools board has placed the school system’s superintendent on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Joshua Edwards, superintendent at Southwestern since March of 2022, was essentially suspended before the start of the school board meeting on Nov. 8 at the administrative building. He was not present at the meeting.

No reason for the suspension was stated publically. Attempts to reach school board president Derrek Tennell were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Current Southwestern Junior/Senior High School principal John Tindall has been named interim superintendent. He had no prior knowledge of the school board’s pending action prior to Nov. 8.

“The school board put Josh Edwards on leave for allegations of misconduct,” said Tindall Tuesday after the boys basketball season opener against Edinburgh. “I am not privy to any of that information. I know there is a process behind that – that is what the school board is going through right now. I do not know how long that process will take.”

Tindall reiterated he is not interested in leaving his principal position at this time to be the superintendent.

“I stepped in to make sure that we keep the doors open, to make sure we are taking care of kids and meeting deadlines that a superintendent would need to,” he said.

Tindall did confirm the allegation of misconduct is not student-related.

Edwards’ hiring in early 2022 came during a tumultuous period at the southern Shelby County school. Curtis Chase’s resignation as superintendent was accepted on Feb. 9, 2022. Edwards filled in admirably during a period when Chase was away from the school system battling a serious illness.

The school board wasted little time promoting Edwards to superintendent from his nearly decade-long role as the principal at Southwestern Elementary School. A perceived lack of transparency in the hiring process bothered many Southwestern teachers and parents.

The night Edwards was approved as the new superintendent, the Southwestern Consolidated Classroom Teachers Association held a press conference in front of the school announcing it was filing an unfair labor practice claim that would include Edwards’ name as well as sitting school board member Jerry Drake.

While the allegations were investigated, no disciplinary action was warranted by the Indiana Education Employee Relations Board.

In the days following the Nov. 8 meeting, Drake resigned his position as a school board member. The school system is currently seeking a new school board member that will represent Jackson Township.

Information to apply for the position is available on the school system’s Facebook page as well as the school system’s website -- swshelby.k12.in.us.

Also at the Nov. 8 school board meeting, two parents spoke about the recent resignation of the high school’s agriculture teacher Shalee Bradley. Her resignation, which will be effective in December, was approved by the school board.

The school board does not yet have a replacement for Bradley.

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