ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Allentown School Board’s separation agreement (see below) with soon-to-be former Superintendent John Stanford gives him nine months' salary and a letter of recommendation.
The board voted 6-to-3 last week to oust Stanford without giving the public a reason.
Board members Lisa Conover, LaTarsha Brown and Patrick Palmer voted against approval. Audrey Mathison, Nick Miller, Phoebe Harris, Jennifer Lynn Ortiz and Board President Nancy Wilt voted in favor of it.
- The exit package gives Stanford $172,500 in severance pay
- His last day is this Friday, Oct. 28
- The board gave him a reference letter despite firing him a year into his contract
Board members approved a $230,000 salary last year for Stanford, which was $55,000 higher than his predecessor Thomas Parker. That means he will receive $172,500 in separation pay.
Stanford will also get a week of sick days at $70 a day, more than six days of vacation and a prorated contribution to his 401(k) of $11,500. He also retains health insurance coverage through June 2023 unless he becomes employed by another public school district before then.
Despite firing Stanford after less than a year into a five-year contract, Board President Nancy Wilt wrote him a reference letter on behalf of the whole board that praised him as a talented, skilled and dedicated leader.
In accordance with the agreement, the school district and Stanford characterized his departure as mutual.
In return, Stanford promises in the document not to disparage the school district. He also agrees not to sue them for age discrimination and to cooperate with any outstanding litigation. His last day is Friday. He is not allowed on school grounds after that except by permission of district officials.
The district released the separation agreement to LehighValleyNews.com in response to a Right-to-Know request.
The school board plans to meet Thursday night to appoint an interim superintendent.
But members of the NAACP who strongly supported Stanford are planning to rally Wednesday morning at the Lehigh County Courthouse on Fifth and Hamilton streets to protest the board’s firing.
Read Full Agreement:
