BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) – Today, an administrative hearing will be held regarding the fate of Lincoln Memorial Academy. The hearing is set to start at 9 a.m. at the Manatee County Courthouse.
Last month, the Manatee County School board voted to take back control of the troubled charter school.
In May, then-principal Eddie Hundley was stripped of his teaching license after recommending Quenton Peterson for another teaching job while Peterson was being investigated for child pornography.
Hundley infuriated the Florida Department of Education because he refused to step down.
He then changed his title to “founder and CEO.”
On top of that, the school’s finances were a mess. Some teachers were not being paid and school district officials say 41% of the budget went to administrative salaries, which they say is disproportionate.
Also, the school was behind on its water bills.
So the Manatee County school board voted to take back control. Lincoln will remain a charter school, but the school district has appointed an interim principal.
Former members of the charter school’s board quickly announced plans to file an appeal.
According to documents, the case will be deliberated through Thursday if needed.
In a recent statement, former principal Eddie Hundley told 8 On Your Side:
The latest actions taken by the Manatee county school board are another example of the unjust, unfair and overreaching acts against Lincoln Memorial Academy and the community it serves. The Board and Founder / CEO are retaining legal counsel to appeal this latest effort to distract and mislead the public. We are confident the school and community will be made whole again. We thank the community for the undeniably overwhelming show of support at the board meeting. It was the will and desire of the community to convert the school, and will be that very thing that pushes through the current obstacles to maintain it!
Stay with 8 On Your Side for the latest on this developing story.
LATEST STORIES:
