ST. LOUIS — Keisha Scarlett's employment as the superintendent of Saint Louis Public Schools was terminated Monday, months after being placed on leave amid an investigation into the district's budget.
The district's board voted to terminate Scarlett's employment "for cause" by a vote of 5-0, with one member abstaining. A news release from the district said the vote came Monday night after the board held an evidentiary hearing.
"At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board of Education voted to terminate the employment of Dr. Scarlett for cause, effective immediately," the press release said. "By virtue of this vote, Dr. Scarlett is no longer an employee of Saint Louis Public Schools."
The board voted to start the termination process at a meeting last month. Scarlett appealed the process and requested a hearing before the education board to contest the decision. She remained on administrative leave with pay until Monday's meeting, when her employment was formally terminated.
In a statement, Scarlett said she did not attend the hearing in protest over what she called deliberate violations of her due process.
"The Board actively hindered Dr. Scarlett’s ability to prepare for and participate in the termination hearing, denying her the due process that was contractually promised," the statement said.
The full statement is below:
The district started the year with a surplus of $17 million in its general operations budget but now is in a projected $35 million deficit. Mayor Tishaura Jones and other leaders have called into question pricey contracts issued in the past year overseen by Scarlett.
A state audit of the school's finances began in August and is still underway.
When the board voted to start the termination process, Scarlett said she was innocent in a written statement.
"I did nothing wrong," Scarlett wrote in a response released through her attorney last month. "My leadership decisions were always made to benefit our students and community. When I arrived, the administration was in crisis with significant operational problems, student service deficiencies, and staff compensation disparities. After several external studies and audits, I focused on redistributing resources to support our mission more equitably. I communicated regularly with the Board about these needed changes."
The board previously appointed Deputy Superintendent Millicent Borishade, who has been acting as superintendent since July 25, to continue as interim superintendent through the remainder of the school year, pending the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's approval certification.
Borishade does not currently have superintendent certification in Missouri, which is required for a district to have full accreditation.