Board votes 4-1 to oust Wes Bradley as superintendent of Nelson County Schools
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Monday, March 4, 2024 — The Nelson County Board of Education voted 4-1 Monday evening to remove Wes Bradley from his job as superintendent of Nelson County Schools.
The vote came at the second special-called board meeting in a week.
As with last week’s meeting, Monday’s meeting consisted primarily of a closed executive session.
However, the board agenda for this week’s meeting made it clear the board was expecting to exit its closed executive session and take some sort of action — which turned out to be voting on a resolution to oust the superintendent.
There was a significant police presence at the meeting, as well as members of the media covering the meeting where it was assumed the superintendent’s job hung in the balance.
After the executive session that lasted more than an hour, school board chair Amanda Deaton said Bradley would be removed from his job for cause per the stipulations in his contract.
Deaton’s list of the reasons to remove Bradley as superintendent included;
- Neglect of duty
- Academic and educational neglect resulting in extremely poor academic performance.
- Failure of leadership
- Failing to act as the professional advisor of the board pursuant to KRS 160.370.
- Engaging in conduct that has created and promoted division and dissension within this district has resulted in working relationships that were severely and irreparably damaged.
- engaging in conduct that has resulted in the majority of the board losing trust in him.
Deaton said details of the results were available in a packet and would be part of the meeting’s minutes.
Members of the audience jeered loudly as Deaton read each of the allegations. One audience member yelled that maybe it was time to remove some of the board members.
In a roll call vote, David Norman, Diane Berry, Deaton and Nicole Milburn voted in favor of the resolution. On casting her “nay” vote, board member Tracy Bowling received cheers and applause from the audience.
For his part, Bradley sat at the meeting table and did not react to the allegations as they were read, or the votes by the board members to remove him as they were cast.
The board’s resolution to remove Bradley will now go to the state education commissioner for her review. Bradley’s employment will end at 5 p.m. the day after the board receives its response from the commissioner of education.
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