OPINION

Out of a job

Superintendent no more

I don't know who, if anyone, vetted Matthew Wendt, the now former Fayetteville School District superintendent who lost his job the other day after a stunning alleged sexual misbehavior and harassment claim involving a female subordinate employee.

Many wonder what in the name of professional responsibility would possess a person, not even two years into such a responsible position, to take a swan dive from the springboard of reason into a career-ending abyss.

Could no one have considered such a meltdown was possible before Wendt hiring on July 1, 2016? Were there were no previous red flags in background checks? Was this his only career transgression?

The board voted 7-0 to dismiss Wendt for breach of contract after keeping him on salary during voluntary administrative paid leave that began April 7. Under his initial $231,080 annual salary contract, that totaled just about $49,000 in his pocket as he waited for the final decision on his continued employment.

For the math-inclined, that amounts to his former job paying $19,256 a month. Plus, while his salary spigot is officially off, the district still owes Wendt another $48,000 in unused sick and personal leave and vacation time. The median Arkansas household annual income is less than $41,000, just sayin'.

Press accounts of his transgressions, and board attorney Susan Kendall, indicated Wendt and the unnamed woman had shared a sexual experience before he allegedly began approaching her in sexually harassing ways that included threatening her employment, all of which violated school policies.

Attorney Suzanne Clark said her client's complaint, filed May 25 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the school district and board, remains pending as does a probable civil lawsuit. So the wincing from potential pain caused by Wendt likely will continue.

Her client's complaint details Wendt's alleged abusive conduct after she refused to continue to have sex with him, the news account said. The woman said Wendt stalked her, sent her multiple text messages at home and work, and told her she could be fired for her actions, according to a news release from Clark on June 14.

Wendt also allegedly cursed the woman at work, reminded her he was her boss and said he wouldn't give her a raise if she refused to have sex with him, according to an April letter from Clark to the district. And there was mention of recordings she made that proved influential in the board's decision.

"As far as I'm concerned, nothing has changed with regard to the damage to my client in this," Clark was quoted saying. "We are delighted Dr. Wendt no longer has his job."

Following the vote, school board president Justin Eichmann issued this statement: "I would like to express our deep disappointment in the actions that have led to the termination of Dr. Wendt's employment as superintendent of the Fayetteville School District. The termination of Dr. Wendt's contract is effective immediately."

So just like that, all the months of investigating, discussing, uncertainty and formalities that arise in such embarrassing situations that wreak havoc across many lives has ended.

The takeaway from this soap opera? I'd say those in position of authority are best advised to take their professional responsibilities seriously and forgo any urges to ever threaten, shame or sexually harass any subordinate in any way, especially via emails, text and recordings. That said, count me among those welcoming Wendt's capable replacement, Dr. John L. Colbert.

Sweet on Little Sugar

The years-long battle to restore Little Sugar Creek in Bella Vista mercifully could be nearing an end. And believe me, reaching a likely final decision been an arduous, controversial journey.

About 70 attended a meeting where 10 Bentonville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members considered three proposals for what to do about the 103-year-old dam. Would they vote to rebuild it, remove it while creating a small side channel lake, or simply tear it down and let the crystalline stream meander freely?

The board voted unanimously to recommend removing the failed Lake Bella Vista dam and allow the stream again to flow after a century of containment.

I believe the board arrived at the right conclusion. It's a choice Greg Van Horn and his Friends of Little Sugar Creek have actively supported during the tumultuous process of deciding the crumbling dam's fate.

Restoring the stream is estimated to cost about $9.6 million. Parks and Recreation Director David Wright told reporter Melissa Gute about $6.2 million is available for the project through government agencies and private grants. The remaining $3.1 million to $3.6 million could be raised, but only if the community agrees and is willing to work together. Wright said he hopes to bring the recommendation up for final city council approval by early August. Here's to tenacity and the best idea.

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Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist. Email him at [email protected].

Editorial on 06/24/2018

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