Update: Charles Shoulders, the Chairman of the Limestone County School Board has confirmed that neither he nor his wife are related to Louis Gordon, the principal at Tanner High School. 

Tanner parents and members of the NAACP expressed their frustrations over the Limestone County School system’s handling of Tanner Principal Louis Gordon during a Tuesday night board meeting at the Limestone County Career Technical Center.

Gordon has been on paid administrative leave since March 12 while the district investigates claims he violated numerous policies and compromised the “health and safety” of the working environment at the school.

School leaders have remained tight-lipped about the investigation, declining to comment except to say it is “ongoing.” Their silence prompted several community protests and led Tanner parents Valerie Gray and Eddie Walton to address the board Tuesday. Gray spoke first, describing the climate at Tanner since Gordon left as “windy with tornadoes and silent storms.” She said that since Gordon was removed, student safety has been compromised and academic standards have diminished.

Gray cited two occasions when she was allowed to walk freely through the school building, expressing frustration that students often work the front office desk. She also complained the school has been unresponsive about providing official transcripts and that teachers are allowing students to hang out in the parking lot or go home early.

“My own daughter has come home early (from school) because the teacher tells her she doesn’t have anything to teach,” Gray said.

Eddie Walton, a Tanner parent and vocal supporter of Gordon, also addressed the board.

“One of the things I’m so frustrated about is that all the things Mr. Gordon implemented and enforced, and, yes, some of those things were already on the books, are not happening since he was put on leave.”

Walton directed his frustration at teachers who he said have become lax about posting grades every two weeks, allowing students to fall behind.

He also singled out Limestone County Superintendent Dr. Tom Sisk, asking him “how much longer will this investigation take? Somebody needs to be concerned about the students, especially the students at Tanner High School.”

Wilbert Woodruff, president of the NAACP, called on board members as paid, elected officials to do the best job they can.

“We’ve got to remind ourselves why we take these jobs; why we want to represent those who can’t represent themselves,” Woodruff said. “We’ve got to keep the children in mind.”

Woodruff also asked board members why “in a time of cutbacks, budgets and margins, where we don’t have enough money to run our own system, are we paying someone to stay at home and do nothing?”

“With this 67-percent minority school, what better person to lead this school than the person sitting at home right now?” Woodruff said. “We need this system to do better. We are asking the board to humbly and prayerfully reconsider putting this principal on leave and bring him back to Tanner.”

Although Gordon’s fate remains uncertain, a new set of documents obtained by The News Courier on May 1, may shed additional light on the case.

As previously reported, a group of 22 Tanner employees filed a list of informal grievances against Gordon with the Limestone County Education Association earlier this year. The complaints were investigated by Tommy Hunter, the director of human resources and operations for Limestone County Schools, who documented his findings in a letter dated Jan. 25. Hunter’s letter showed the complaints had either been addressed or resolved.

The same group of Tanner employees submitted a second more-serious round of complaints against Gordon in a formal grievance dated March 9, where they called for Gordon’s termination. The LCEA document, claims the Limestone County School District breached it “statutory duties” to provide a healthy and safe working environment for its employees. The LCEA called Hunter’s original investigation “insufficient,” prompting them to renew their complaints in a formal grievance.

The new set of documents includes a rebuttal of each of Hunter’s findings from Jan. 25 and 10 more grievances. Most notably, Tanner employees accused Gordon of violating sexual harassment laws, claiming he made inappropriate verbal comments to subordinates such as “Honey Pie, Sweetie” and sending at least one documented email to a female employee that said “Love you bunches.”

Gordon was also accused of showing favoritism, using his position of authority to allow NAACP representatives to use the school’s Christian-based First Priority student club for political purposes, for questionable bookkeeping practices, for an inability to perform administrative duties, and for compromising school safety by allowing visitors on campus without first requiring them to sign in at the main office.

Gordon’s relationship to Charles Shoulders, the chairman of the Limestone County school board, was also brought up by those who filed the additional complaints.

“We have been informed that Mr. Gordon’s wife is the niece of Limestone County school board member Charles Shoulders. If this is factual, Mr. Shoulders should have abstained from voting to hire Mr. Gordon and should not vote on any other actions regarding Mr. Gordon,” the document states.

Attempts Thursday to reach Shoulders were unsuccessful.