Did the Jackson County School Board ever investigate its superintendent? MDE won’t say

Last month, the Sun Herald reported that the Mississippi Department of Education directed the Jackson County School Board to conduct an investigation into its embattled superintendent, John Strycker.

A month later, neither the MDE nor the school board will say whether the investigation was actually conducted.

The Sun Herald made a public records request for the communications between the state agency and the school board regarding the investigation. But MDE has declined to disclose any documents.

In an email, MDE’s director of public reporting, Donna Hales, said that the documents requested are personnel records, which are exempt from the Mississippi Public Records Act.

Jackson County School Board chairman J. Keith Ellis did not respond to an email asking whether the board had conducted the investigation.

There have been multiple complaints against Strycker, and it is unclear which accusations prompted MDE to request an investigation.

A former Jackson County assistant superintendent, Mary Tanner, is suing Strycker for gender and age discrimination and deprivation of due process.

Strycker’s former assistant, Melissa Rayborn, wrote an emotional five-page resignation letter to the school board in which she accused Strycker of creating a hostile work environment.

In February, MDE spokesperson Jean Cook provided the following statement in an email to the Sun Herald:

“The MDE has received complaints about Dr. Strycker. The complaints fell outside the jurisdiction of the MDE. Therefore, the MDE directed the Jackson County School District (JCSD) Board chairman to investigate the allegations and report any finding(s) and/or disposition(s) to the MDE. After reviewing the response from the JCSD Board, the MDE concluded its inquiry and directed the JCSD Board to report any further evidence it may discover.

No further details of this investigation have been provided by MDE or the school board.