Elba School Board fires Terry Spicer

Terry Spicer just joined the ranks of the unemployed.

Spicer, a former Legislator who on Nov. 15 pleaded guilty to guilty to federal bribery charges, was terminated from his job as Elba City School Superintendent Monday night. The Elba City School Board terminated Spicer after rescinding a vote made at their Nov. 14 meeting to transfer Spicer to the position of director of operations, which would have allowed him to continue working for the system after his guilty plea, as convicted felons are prohibited by law from being school superintendents.

By allowing Spicer to continue to work, he would have been able to retire in about two years and begin receiving state retirement benefits accumulated over his years of public education employment immediately. Now that he's without an education job,  the now 46-year-old Spicer won't be eligible to draw a pension until turns 60.

The motion to terminate Spicer was made by board member Matt Brunson and seconded by board member Abdel Bilal. It passed unanimously. Spicer will be given a letter informing him of his termination and citing a reason for the termination. The Dothan Eagle intends to request a copy of this letter under Alabama’s open records law.

Prior to the vote, Brunson cited Alabama Code 36-9-2 and Alabama Attorney General’s Opinion 2004-137, which pertain to the ineligibility of convicted felons to serve as officials, and Alabama Code 16-22-15 and Alabama Attorney General’s Opinion 2001-164, which deal with the proper advertisement of school system openings.

Board member Aubrey Williams also read a prepared statement. Williams thanked the community for its interest and also thanked the Alabama Department of Education and Alabama Association of School Boards for providing advice to the board.

“Your city school board is comprised of a diverse group of well educated, honest, hard-working, God- fearing members of your community whose only compensation is the satisfaction that comes from knowing that we are doing the best job that we know how to do under the circumstances,” he said. “Please
know that your Board has made every effort to serve and protect this school
system in a legal fashion, while remaining cognizant of the rights of others.”

The board’s decision to give Spicer the director of operations job on Nov. 14 attracted the ire of newspaper and television editorials. Williams had this to say in the prepared statement:

“The matters presently faced by the Board are of a nature that, as far as we know, no school board in Alabama has ever faced,” Williams said. “We sincerely appreciate the faith which the vast majority has placed in our judgment, and sincerely regret the attention that some have given to the opinions of others throughout the State.”

Williams also later denied that public pressure resulted in Spicer’s termination, but said the board had received criticism after its Nov. 14 meeting.

After the vote to terminate Spicer, the lobby of the school board office, which was filled to capacity, broke into applause.

Many of the residents gathered at the meeting were reluctant to speak, but a few voiced their opinions of recent events to the Eagle.

Melissa Herrington, mother of two students in the Elba City Schools, said she was unhappy with the board’s previous decision to transfer Spicer, saying that in tough budget times, school systems could ill-afford to create jobs for convicted felons.

“I don’t have anything against the Spicers, but if it had been anyone else in town they would have been gone the first day the charges came out,” she said.

Faye Kyle, a grandmother of three Elba students, also said that she didn’t think providing a job for Spicer was a good use of taxpayer funds.

The Elba City Schools remain under the supervision of Interim Superintendent Lakesha Brackins.