Resignations over reinstatement of Cindy Hill (R) as Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction

[frogmarch]

http://chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=33336

(Wyo.)-At Least Five Resign From Education Agency After Hill Reinstated


Photo: Wyoming Department of Education superintendent Cindy Hill

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) - At least five people, including Director Richard Crandall, have resigned from the Wyoming Department of Education since Superintendent Cindy Hill was reinstated as the department's top official last Friday.

Dean Fausset, of the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information, said Wednesday that Crandall and senior human resources adviser Karen Kelly resigned Friday.

Their resignations followed a ruling by a district court judge that most of last year's law removing Hill from the agency is unconstitutional.

Fausset said three more people in Crandall's leadership team have resigned.

Hill says several others may resign as well. She noted that resignations are common with a leadership change.

The department employs about 140 people.

More about Cindy Hill: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Hill_(politician)

snip:

Among the allegations levied against the superintendent include threats to department employees and misuse of state funds. At her first meeting with employees in late 2010, she reportedly asked them to “honor the new superintendent’s leadership," which some department employees considered a request for a loyalty oath. Hill is accused of having used special education monies to finance general teacher training sessions. She allegedly waved around a cake knife at her birthday party and told the attendees that she would not be bullied by the Wyoming State Legislature. Hill maintains that dissenting employees "broadly misunderstood" her departmental objectives: "The inference that jobs were in jeopardy, or that the legislative mandates were to be subverted, or that the unwavering loyalty was the goal of such meetings is simply fantasy by a small group of people who seem to revel in intrigue," Hill said in response to allegations against her leadership.

I wonder how this will pan out. Wyoming is a red state, but apparently not everyone there likes Republican bullying tactics.