By By Sherry Digmon
Advance Staff Writer
The Escambia County (Ala.) Board of Education took the next step in the search for a new superintendent Monday afternoon.
In a special called workshop, the board approved several recommendations by attorney Broox Garrett who has been handling the applications for the board.
Garrett reported that he had received 14 applications.
Board member Danny Benjamin did not favor the appointment of a committee.
Board member Mike Goolsby favored the committee for the sake of time and on Garrett's recommendation. Board member Janice Ash said she favored a committee as well and made the motion for a committee to be appointed. Goolsby seconded.
Goolsby, Ash, Jimmy Dukes and A.D. Johnson voted for the appointment of a screening committee. Benjamin and W.J. Grissett voted against it. Larry Madden was not at the meeting.
Johnson, chairman of the board, appointed Dukes, Benjamin and Goolsby to the screening committee.
Ash made a motion to approve the committee appointments. Goolsby seconded. Goolsby, Ash, Dukes and Johnson voted to approve. Grissett abstained. Benjamin voted no.
When Ash questioned his vote, Benjamin said he was not in favor of a screening committee but would serve on it.
On Garrett's recommendation, the board voted to hire two former superintendents as consultants to assess the academic credentials of the applicants. None of the superintendents are from the Escambia County system.
The board also voted to extend courtesy interviews to all local applicants.
Monday's business regarding a new superintendent followed an hour-long executive session in which the board discussed the current discrimination complaint filed by the current superintendent, Dr. Margaret Breland-Bradley.
In her complaint, filed May 26 with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Dr. Bradley alleges that she has not received the same treatment by the board as her male predecessors did.
The board voted in April not to renew Dr. Bradley's contract.