Editor's Note: This version posted at 11:13 p.m. expands upon the initial coverage posted at 1:04 p.m.
Jefferson City High School Principal Jeff Dodson resigned Tuesday, citing a concern that "ongoing complaints have caused him to become a lightning rod for unrest."
Superintendent Brian Mitchell and Board of Education President Dennis Nickelson made the announcement Tuesday in a letter to faculty and staff, saying the resignation took effect Monday.
The letter says Dodson's duties will be assumed by Sharon Longan, JCHS associate principal and director of Nichols Career Center. She will become the interim principal for the remainder of the 2014-15 school year. It is not yet clear who will assume her duties at the career center.
"We feel confident that the high school will continue to run smoothly with great progress made by staff and students under Mrs. Longan's temporary care," Nickelson and Mitchell wrote.
In a district news release, Dodson said the ongoing complaints and unrest has "impaired his ability to provide effective leadership of the high school's learning program." The release said the Board of Education and Mitchell agreed.
The one-page release - developed by outside counsel, board members and members of district administration - said the resignation was a human resources issue and that the district would have no other response. Requests for interviews with Mitchell and Nickelson were denied.
Dodson could not be reached for comment. A call to his home revealed a phone number that didn't work and a call into the JCHS office revealed that he is "with another school," according to a secretary. His new employment location - if any - was not mentioned in the press release.
An attorney representing Dodson contacted the News Tribune on Tuesday evening to provide a response to the district's release. Carla Holste, with the Carson & Coil law firm, said it was unfortunate the release "buried statements about his successful job performance."
"His resignation had nothing to do with his job performance, and it's unfortunate ... that the community is losing an excellent educator as a result of a handful of individuals who didn't use the proper channels for their complaints," Holste said. "There are no documented deficiencies regarding my client's job performance ... he was actually very successful in his performance."
Holste declined to provide specifics concerning Dodson's salary or severance and said she was unaware if Dodson had secured other employment.
The district did not immediately respond to a request for his annual salary.
But the state Elementary and Secondary Education department's website provided an "administrators' salaries" spreadsheet for all Missouri public school districts.
Without including individuals' names or identifying specific buildings, that chart shows two full-time listings for "high school principal" in the Jefferson City School District, with one paid $110,500 in 2014, and the other paid $101,355.
Dodson has a valid contract for this school year and the next one.
Under the agreement, Dodson will be paid a portion of his contract for the remainder of 2014-15, as well as the first three months of his 2015-16 contract. He will not receive any compensation for the last nine months, or 40 percent, of his contract.
Dodson's tenure - he started as deputy principal in 2008 and was appointed principal in 2009 - at the high school has been marked by controversy from the beginning.
He was accused, along with then-new principal Myron Graber, of helping create communication problems with teachers over student discipline and other issues.
He was one of three administrators who spent the summer of 2009 working with a team of teachers on a Communication, Culture and Climate Committee.
He was mentioned in a lawsuit against the school district filed by former journalism teacher Karen Ray in July. In her petition, Ray alleges she was subjected to age and sex discrimination and harassment by the high school's administrators, including Dodson.
According to the district's information release about Dodson's resignation: "The educational program at Jefferson City High School has been the subject of numerous complaints from some faculty and community members. No faculty member has filed a grievance under board policy, which would allow the complaint to be investigated and brought before the superintendent and board of education.
"Rather many of the complaints have been discussed with students during class time and referred to other staff and community members. It is the board's opinion that these behaviors have been and are negatively affecting the learning of high school students."
Anne Hutton, a now-retired former JCHS science teacher, said Tuesday that teachers "tried to go through the correct channels a long time ago, but nothing was ever done."
She noted one criticism of Dodson was that he wasn't seen as a strong disciplinarian. He was known for reaching out to at-risk teens and treating them with compassion, but he was criticized for failing to provide discipline when needed. Students, when sent to the office, reportedly did not see it as negative occurrence and would tell their teachers so.
There has to be someone who is willing to be firm, Hutton said.
"If you've got strong leadership, kids know there are standards," she said.
Dan Herman, a retired social studies teacher at the district, questioned: "Why did the superintendent and board of education use a press release to announce the resignation of a principal as a vehicle to criticize teachers? The press release notes numerous complaints but no formal grievance and then concludes that it is teachers who are negatively affecting students."
The district's document concluded: "The Board and Central Office administrators would like to express their appreciation to Dr. Dodson for his sacrifice of professional and financial benefits for the good of his students. Dr. Dodson has served high school students well, significantly increasing their graduation rate and effecting positive learning outcomes at JCHS. The board wishes Dr. Dodson well and will assist him in obtaining a future administrative position."
Noting the release's praise of Dodson, Herman said: "So, where is the problem? Is it with the administration - from principals to the superintendent to the school board - or with teachers? The only criticism in this press release is of teachers. Maybe this demonstrates why teachers are reluctant to file a formal, written grievance with this administration," Herman concluded.
The district's news release states: "The board has long maintained a formal grievance procedure so that such complaints can be reviewed in a timely manner with formal appeals to the superintendent and, ultimately, to the Board of Education."
Hutton said administrators have enough power, within the scope of their normal duties, to be able to exert that power to harass teachers if they choose to do so. She noted the district's grievance procedures fail to empower teachers to voice their complaints when that happens.
"The grievance policy needs to be redone. It's not effective the way it is right now," she said. "We need to look at the grievance policy and modify that, so issues can be addressed earlier.
"It didn't have to come to this."
Hutton said many teachers feel bullied and retaliated against during the course of their duties, but feel they can't speak up for fear of losing their jobs.
"They can't say anything. That's why retired teachers have stepped forward. Somebody has to say something," she said.
Dan Ortmeyer, a member of the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee and a proponent of having two high schools, lamented too many veteran teachers have left the district in the last five to six years.
"The school board should have taken the loss of teachers much more seriously," he said. "We've continued to lose teachers, and that's just not acceptable. The responsibility for this has to go back to the top."
According to the district's news release, the search for a new head principal for next school year will begin later this fall.
Hutton said she feels Longan will do a good job in her new position.
"She is a very intelligent, practical and highly qualified person," Hutton said.
Madeleine Leroux contributed information used in this report.