Police raid superintendent’s home, offices in construction investigation

Written By: Jonathan Cribbs
2/25/10
Categorized in: DeKalb News, Education

Superintendent Crawford Lewis

DeKalb County law enforcement officials raided the home of school district Superintendent Crawford Lewis and several district offices Feb. 25 in search of documents related to a months-long investigation in alleged construction contract tampering.

It was unclear what documents police and District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming were searching for. Fleming released a statement hours after the raid, which included Lewis’ Stone Mountain home, two district buildings on North Decatur Road and the district’s Sam Moss building in Tucker.

“This is all part of an ongoing investigation which was started at the request of the school system’s administration. After reviewing the information we gathered today, we anticipate bringing this matter to an appropriate conclusion,” she said.

District officials and school board Chairman Thomas Bowen did not immediately return several phone calls. Board member H. Paul Womack declined to comment.

News vans gathered outside the district’s North Decatur Road headquarters hours after the raid, and county police were stationed in the system’s parking lots, questioning people approaching the building.

The district has scheduled an emergency closed-door meeting to discuss the investigation at 4:30 p.m. It also canceled a budget meeting scheduled for Feb. 26 during which Lewis planned to present heavy budget cut options to resolve next year’s projected shortfall of more than $80 million.

“I’m totally in the dark, and I would like for somebody to help me understand what is going on,” school board member Gene Walker said. “It’s not good for the system. It’s impairing our efforts right now.”

Pat Pope, the district’s chief operations officer, has been the subject of a county investigation into contracting irregularities, and investigators seized documents from a district building in Tucker where she works on Oct. 13. The office of her husband, Anthony Pope, an architect who has designed several county schools, was also searched.

The school board voted in November to give the majority of Pope’s responsibilities to two other construction management firms to protect its building programs from further controversy. Pope, however, did not lose her job, and her contract ends in June.

Comments (9)

Ann Anderson

Said this on 3/6/10 At 02:30 pm

In reply to #7

Tell me about it. I came into the field of education to teach the children but everyday I feel as if I am being sabotaged in my goal. During and at the end of the day teachers are exhausted from being cursed out, disrespected, no support, overwhelmed, no planning period, late hours, pointless tasks, no over time pay, and nonsense meetings.

Said this on 3/1/10 At 05:14 pm

Hey, lets investigate why Dekalb School not supporting International Community.
No enough community out reach program.
No enough ESL program.
the voice from immigrant community ignored.
MH

AsTheWorldTurns

Said this on 2/28/10 At 03:38 am

In reply to #4

What about the children? What about the parents of the children? The majority of our students out of control, fix that. This statement is getting obsolete. At the end of the day, what about the teachers being exhausted from being cursed out, disrespected, no support, overwhelmed, no planning period, late hours, pointless tasks, no over time pay, and nonsense meetings.

School Teacher

Said this on 2/26/10 At 10:21 pm

I used to teach in DeKalb, and I am still a member of MACE. Yeah for MACE -- the only group which stood up to the corrupt Lewis administration. GAE is a joke. I used to be a member of GAE. But, only MACE has been consistent in calling the DeKalb School System as "a gangsta school system."

V.C.B.

Said this on 2/26/10 At 11:23 am

Mrs. Pope is a disgrace. The absurd expenditures on purely cosmetic additions (like the wrought iron fence) at Columbia High during this economic disaster is an outrage.

Can anyone tell me why the school board is paid such high salaries when the teachers are denied even cost of living raises?

carolyn murphy

Said this on 2/26/10 At 11:01 am

at the end of the day, what about the children

Larry Smith

Said this on 2/25/10 At 05:50 pm

In reply to #2

This will get worse before it gets better. Had to be done.

Unbought & Unbossed

Said this on 2/25/10 At 04:06 pm

The DeKalb School Board is largely incompetent. As a small minority business owner who attempted to do business with the DeKalb Schools, I know first hand how Pat Pope and her minions (staff) treated outsiders. Outsiders meaning those who are not on their party, frat or sororiety contact list. I am delighted that they are being investigated and hope they get the maximum of what they deserve in criminal penalties. We need ethical leaders to completely change the DeKalb Schools for the benefit of the students. I would like them all (Executive Management Team and School Board Members) to be fired and have the State of Georgia take over the Schools.

pscexb

Said this on 2/25/10 At 02:29 pm

I agree with Dr. Walker, these distractions are preventing the district from addressing the real issues of the budget and student performance. Hopefully this is a sign that this entire process will be resolved.

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