PSC finds no probable cause in Worth superintendent complaints

SYLVESTER — The Georgia Professional Standards Commission has found no probable cause to pursue complaints filed against Worth County School District Superintendent William “Bill” Settle. Worth School System Attorney Tommy Coleman made the announcement.

The complaints had been filed by former Worth County High School Principal (and former Westover High School administrator) Walter H. “Harley” Calhoun, who said Settle breached standards of the state of Georgia’s Code of Ethics.

“If there had been probable cause (to pursue the charges), the PSC would have sent notice,” Coleman said. “No notice was sent, and there will be no further pursuit of the charges.”

Calhoun, who has accepted a position as principal of Schley County Middle High School, said Settle had violated Standards 4 and 9 of the state’s Code of Ethics, which apply respectively to honesty and professional conduct. In making the complaint, Calhoun told The Albany Herald, “I believe the Georgia Professional Standards Commission will render a fair decision that I am willing to accept.”

Calhoun, a former Westover High School administrator who began his tenure at Worth County High School on Dec. 12, 2016, accused Settle of “falsifying, misrepresenting or omitting information regarding the evaluation of students and/or personnel,” a breach of the state’s Standard 4, by altering Calhoun’s formative assessment on March 18, 2019, and by not providing Calhoun access to the assessment within 10 working days.

The former Worth principal’s complaint said that the actions taken by Settle that violated Standard 4 also violated Standard 9.

“Superintendent Settle’s improper subsequent alteration of Calhoun’s Formative Assessment as well as his failure to provide Calhoun access to the Formative Assessment within 10 working days demonstrate inappropriate and unprofessional conduct unbecoming of a person holding the position of superintendent,” Calhoun’s complaint said.

The complaint also asks the Professional Standards Commission to investigate the matter to determine probable cause of the ethics breaches and, following such determination, to issue “appropriate and warranted disciplinary action” against Settle.

Settle did not disclose his plans to recommend to the Worth County School Board that Calhoun’s contract not be renewed, the complaint against the superintendent said, but he disclosed his plan to assistant Dougherty County School System Superintendent Rodney Bullard during a WCHS-Westover baseball game. Settle later told Calhoun, the complaint said, that he was not a “team player.”

Settle posted an opening for the Worth High principal’s position after meeting with Calhoun even before submitting his recommendation for non-renewal to the School Board. When word of the posting filtered into the community, an uproar that included a March 4, 2019, public protest by more than 200 students and parents erupted.

On March 21, Calhoun submitted his resignation. That action, Settle determined, rendered moot any need to provide the School Board evidence to support his recommendation not to renew Calhoun’s contract.

Coleman said that Settle would have no comment on the matter.

The Worth School Board subsequently hired former Stephens County High School Principal Scott Kersh.

Schools in Worth County opened this week.

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