SALT LAKE CITY — As Salt Lake City Schools Superintendent Timothy Gadson currently remains on paid administrative leaves, one of his top officials resigned Wednesday.
Associate superintendent Gwendolyn Johnson-White's sudden resignation was confirmed by school board member Mohamed Baayd.
Hired a month after Gadson in 2021, Johnson-White was the superintendent's top deputy in the school district.
Gadson was placed on leave last month, although the district has not announced a reason why.
The school board said he’s been the subject of multiple complaints throughout his tenure, which began on July 1, 2021. The complaints ranged from inappropriate travel, to favoritism, to inappropriate workplace behavior.
The first day of school is less than two weeks away and educators, students, and parents are just trying to focus on the day-to-day.
“The writing was on the wall that [Johnson-White] was not wanted here. And I think the writing’s on the wall that the school board doesn’t want Dr. Gadson here and he brought her along,” said parent Lafayette Scott.
Scott said he’s sad, but not surprised about Johnson-White’s resignation.
“I don’t really see how she could go to work every day and feel as if she’s going to do her job correctly or with any kind of authority when obviously the school board doesn’t have her back,” he said.
If Gadson is removed by the board, the next superintendent will be the fourth leader in a span of four years.
Former school board member Michael Clara said the board and human resources department are to blame for the turnovers.
“When you look into the background of the people that came in from out of state, they were not the most qualified people,” he said.
The NAACP Salt Lake branch and current board member Mohamed Baayd have told FOX 13 News that the push to remove Gadson is racist and discriminatory.
Clara said he doesn’t want to discount racism in the district as a possibility, but he also believes Johnson-White shouldn’t have been hired.
“There are some issues, just basic HR, human resources issues that were not taken care of,” he said.
Regardless, teachers and parents refuse to let the uncertainty shadow the start of a new school year.
“We did registration today and it was a packed house. The energy level was still there, the kids don’t know any different,” said Scott. “The teachers I’ve spoken to were business as usual and we have to get to the job of making sure our kids’ education is met.”
If the school board chooses to terminate Gadson’s contract, it’d have to be done in an open and public meeting. The next scheduled board meeting is Sept. 6.
