Sarasota School District Names Acting Superintendent

SARASOTA, FL —The School Board of Sarasota County unanimously voted Tuesday to appoint Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Superintendent Mitsi Corcoran as acting superintendent.

District Superintendent Todd Bowden announced he was stepping down last week stemming from an investigation into his handling of allegations involving inappropriate behavior by the district's former chief operating officer and assistant superintendent, Jeff Maultsby.

"Ms. Corcoran will serve in this capacity until an interim superintendent is named next month," a spokesperson for the school district said on Tuesday.

The school board also voted 5-0 Tuesday to approve a mutual separation with Bowden that calls for him to be placed on paid administrative leave through Dec. 31 at his regular $207,000-a-year salary with benefits.

The superintendent will be paid another 20 weeks of salary and benefits in a lump sum from the district no later than Jan. 15, 2020. He will also be reimbursed another $65,523.11 in personal legal fees.

In exchange, Bowden will not pursue any claims against the school district. The complaint against Maultsby and the subsequent complaint against the handling of the initial complaint led to an independent investigation by Vicki Sproat of Sproat Workplace Investigations. Sproat's findings were contained in a report received by district officials on Oct. 16.

A Certified Public Accountant, Corcoran, has served as chief financial officer of Sarasota County Schools since 2007. Before that she served 10 years with Sarasota County Government as general manager of financial services with the county commission and clerk of the circuit court finance division.

The complaint against Maultsby was filed by senior administrative assistant Cheraina Bonner. She filed a second complaint against the superintendent and human resources executive Al Harayda over their handling of her initial complaint.

Bonner complained she was sexually harassed by Maultsby, the former director of field operations with the Cincinnati Reds. She claimed she was the victim of sexual and racial discrimination as well as other "improprieties" in the handling of the complaint by district officials, according to a report reviewed by Patch.

Maultsby was accused of blocking or denying Bonner's promotion based on him needing her in his current position and sending inappropriate texts such as asking if Bonner missed him. Maultsby was also accused of making statements about his ability to make women "curl their toes" and allegedly made a comment that he did not want a female employee to work in in his division because she was too attractive and he could not control himself around her.

Corcoran is a past president of the Florida School Finance Officers Association and currently serves on the State Finance Council.

Bowden said he plans to remain in the district with his wife and two children, both of whom attend Sarasota County schools.