Colleton Co. School District superintendent placed on administrative leave

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - After nearly two hours of executive session, the Colleton County School Board has voted to place their superintendent on administrative leave.

Dr. Vallerie Cave’s employment has been on the school board’s agenda since before the school year started. School officials say Cave will be on leave while the school board “investigates information” that was brought to their attention.

Three of the district’s seven board members opposed the decision, but there was no public discussion between them after the announcement.

Board member Sharon Witkin said there will be no comment from the board at this time due to it being an ongoing personnel matter that requires “careful consideration and review.”

Assistant Superintendent Jessica Williams has been named the interim.

During the public comment session prior to the announcement, community member Rev. Jack Lewis said the Colleton County School Board created a hostile work environment for Cave for months and asked them why her employment has been a matter of discussion for so long.

“Is it racism, is it because she’s an African American woman?” Lewis said. “Her work performance is good, test scores are improving, graduation rate is good, discipline problems are decreasing. The question remains, why?”

The school board will meet on Tuesday to discuss the next steps.

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