The Hamburg School Board approved a six-figure settlement Friday morning that makes way for the departure of embattled Superintendent Dr. Richard Jetter.
Jetter will receive $82,000 in salary, $20,240 in vacation pay, and 1 year of health insurance on the district's plan. The separation agreement states that Jetter will resign from his post effective October 1st. He has also agreed not to bring any claims against the district relating to his employment and resignation.
The board voted 5-1 in favor of the severance package. Sally Stephenson objected to the agreement. She wanted the district to do a forensic audit of Jetter’s district issued computer.
“We should see what was going on, on that computer, what was going on with whom, how it was going on, what was the motive. We should not have approved the separation agreement,” said Stephenson.
But, Hamburg School Board President David Yoviene says the board decided it was best to cut ties with Jetter.
“If something was found on the computer we would still have to go through the same hearing process to terminate him. So, I think we cut the best deal for the district and we can begin on Monday brand new moving forward and concentrating on student achievement,” said Yoviene.
Yoviene says he knows it seems like a large amount of money, but he believes the board cut the best deal for the district.
“The man had a 5 year contract and usually in a superintendents contract there’s a clause where you can terminate him by paying him a full year’s salary, which would have been $160,000. So, that clause was not in his contract and we paid him substantially less so that we can start anew and start searching for a new superintendent,” said Yoviene.
Jetter had been on administrative leave for several weeks. He recently admitted that he falsely filed a criminal report, telling police initially that his car had been damaged by vandals. It was later revealed the car had been involved in a minor crash.
Active Superintendent Vincent Coppola will begin as Interim Superintendent effective October 1st.