Fox Superintendent Dianne Critchlow and her husband, Jamie Critchlow, another district administrator, will not be returning to their jobs, school officials announced today (June 12).
Jamie Critchlow has been fired, and Dianne Critchlow’s retirement has been moved up to October 2014, but she will use medical leave and vacation until that retirement officially takes effect, Fox Board of Education president John Laughlin said.
“They have no more duties with the district,” Laughlin said.
The Critchlows had been placed on paid administrative leave June 4, amid allegations that computers at their home were used to post derogatory comments on the Arnold Topix website about three district residents – Sam Ferry, Richard Simpson Jr. and Michelle Tyler.
Comments also allegedly were traced to computers at the home of two other Fox administrators – Dan Baker, assistant superintendent in charge of elementary education, and his wife, Angela Burns Baker, director of federal programs. They, too, were placed on paid administrative on June 4.
The board has not taken any further action against the Bakers, Laughlin said today.
He said the school board voted in a closed meeting on Tuesday night (June 10) to fire Jamie Critchlow and move up Dianne Critchlow’s retirement.
Late last year, Dianne Critchlow had announced plans to retire in October 2015, but she recently asked to move it up a year.
Laughlin would not say why Jamie Critchlow was fired, stating that he can’t discuss personnel issues.
Ferry, Simpson and Tyler filed a libel lawsuit in February in Jefferson County Circuit Court naming “John Doe” as the defendant because at the time their attorney, Dan Herman, didn’t know who had made the online comments about his clients.
He hasn’t said whether he will amend the lawsuit naming specific defendants now that the comments allegedly were traced to the Critchlows’ and Bakers’ homes, as well as to the home of retired Fox High School assistant principal Bill Brengle, and his wife, Jane Brengle, a retired Fox High English teacher.
Herman also wouldn’t say whether the Fox district will be named in the lawsuit.
The suit doesn’t ask for a specific amount of money, but seeks damages for pain and suffering, psychological and emotional injury, humiliation, loss of income and punitive damages.
Herman said the comments about his clients accuse them of criminal acts, like having sex with animals and possessing child pornography.
He said the accusations are untrue and were posted to injure his clients and their reputations because they had criticized the district and its administration.
Dianne Critchlow, 47, currently makes $260,598 a year, and Jamie Critchlow, 39, her husband, was being paid $124,079.
Dan Baker makes $156,142 annually, and Angela Baker is paid $107,289 a year.
Fox assistant superintendent Tim Crutchley is the acting superintendent.