So just what does a public official have to do to lose his job?
Getting canned usually means people must pack their belongings in a box and vacate the office for good. It stumped me, then, to see the deals offered to two school administrators at public institutions when it was announced they’d be leaving their posts.
Officials with Community Unit School District 200 in Wheaton announced Oct. 15 that Richard Drury would be resigning as superintendent. This came after weeks of speculation about his status as board members met in closed session several times to discuss the “appointment, employment or dismissal of an employee.”
A statement issued by the board said that for the remainder of his tenure, Drury will serve “in an administrative capacity performing educational work of value to the School District.” I have no idea what this is supposed to mean, other than he’s no longer superintendent.
Drury will be paid about $148,000 until March 9, and then he’ll be paid $60,000 as a “post-resignation severance payment.” He’ll also be allowed to take up to 55 days of vacation time before he leaves, but he won’t be paid for unused time.
Richard Herman announced last week that he’s resigning from his post as chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since news broke of the admissions scandal there earlier this year, there has been intense pressure for him to leave.
But he will continue to earn his $400,000 salary until June as “special assistant to the interim president.” The meaning of this is anyone’s guess. Then, he’ll take a one-year paid sabbatical worth $244,000 and come back the following year as a tenured math professor with two classes to teach.
Both situations were officially described as resignations, but it’s obvious these men got “Trumped.” For most people, this means immediate dismissal.
But in the public sector, this process is rather lengthy and very expensive for taxpayers.
Jerry Moore is the opinions editor for Suburban Life Publications. Contact him at (630) 368-8930 or jmoore@mysuburbanlife.com. His blog, Suburban Shoutout, can be found at blogs.mysuburbanlife.com/jerry-moore.
