After Testy Meeting, Council Education Chair Chides MNPS Director

NASHVILLE, TN -- A Metro Schools budget meeting turned contentious Monday night as two leading school board members called for a spending investigation, prompting a hot response from the director of schools, which led to a social media scolding from the Metro Council's education committee chairman.

Following investigations from NewsChannel 5 that raise questions about the way certain contracts were awarded and other "unauthorized" spending, board member Jill Speering called for an emergency meeting and was joined in that call by colleague Amy Frogge.

"These are the problems as I see them: questionable contracts, consultants and expenditures, overpaid employees and at the very least a disregard of proper procurement procedures," Frogge said.

Speering said she'd tried to get information about the nature of the unauthorized purchase requests and about money paid to a consultant who had worked with MNPS Director Shawn Joseph in the past, but that "responses to my inquiries breed pervasively conflicting and distorted information." She also had concerns about a $24,000 stipend paid to the wife of chief of schools Site Narcisse after she was demoted during a reorganization at the central office.

After Speering and Frogge expressed their concerns, Joseph fought back.

"When we start calling people out and questioning their credentials and things of that nature, you put this board where they will be sued for your inappropriate outbursts," Joseph said.

Frogge contended she is just "doing her job" as a board member charged with oversight of the district, but Joseph responded that her comments were "not appropriate."

Later, a microphone that had been left on - perhaps inadvertently - caught Joseph and Frogge continuing their debate.

Frogge can be heard telling Joseph that he's "lecturing" her when she doesn't work for him. Joseph acknowledges that oversight is part of Frogge's duties, but still said her comments were not appropriate. Frogge said she was "really disappointed," adding "I do not have any trust now."

Tuesday morning, Metro Councilman Dave Rosenberg, who chairs the council's education committee took on the director himself.

Image via Shutterstock