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Tate High School Band Director Placed On Administrative Leave
August 27, 2018
Tate High School Showband of the South director Roy King has been been placed on administrative leave and is under investigation, according to the local authorities.
Escambia County School District Deputy Superintendent Norm Ross confirmed Monday that King is on administrative leave, but he would not elaborate further.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Andrew Hobbs said Monday afternoon that an investigation has been opened involving King after unspecified allegations were made to the ECSO, but he did not provide further details.
“We have a received a complaint, and we are actively investigating,” Hobbs told NorthEscambia.com. “We cannot disclose more because it is an active investigation.”
King has not been charged with any crime.
King was named director of the Showband of the South in July 2017. King served for 18-years at Louisiana State University, most recently as director of LSU’s Tiger Marching Band. King also worked as a high school band director in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola.
The Advcoate, a newspaper in Baton Rouge, LA, reported that King was terminated in 2016 from LSU over allegations of “circumventing management directives by awarding scholarships to members of the Golden Girls dance team and flag girls of the color guard without proper approval”.
“LSU also alleged King couldn’t account for more than $5,000 in missing school funds, according an internal audit report released several days after he filed his suit,” the newspaper reported.
In a lawsuit against LSU, King alleged he was fired for not redirecting contributions from the band program to the school’s School of Music.
The lawsuit was later settled.
This story was updated to clarify that the school district’s statement was made by Norm Ross.
Comments
15 Responses to “Tate High School Band Director Placed On Administrative Leave”
It’s been over one month since this decision was made. In the meantime, my tax dollars are continuing to pay his salary. I deserve to know why my tax dollars are being wasted on a non-working teacher.
Get a new progressive band director and put this program back on the track of winning national and state competitions! Alumni members should demand this from the Administration at Tate! Google Tarpon Springs High School! That should be the kind of program Tate has!
@ Former Resident that wasn’t my comment but I really appreciate the input as it helps emphasize my point that things are not always as they appear. Sometimes there’s a WHOLE lot more to the story…, Thank you!
Wransim, you’re wrong about the coffee lawsuit. The woman almost died from the burns, and McDonald’s only offered $800. She sued and a jury of her peers awarded the judgement. That case was not settled. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/16/13971482/mcdonalds-coffee-lawsuit-stella-liebeck
@? It’s also easier to pay a settlement and invoke a non disclosure agreement when you know you’ve messed up and can’t win. There have been MULTIPLE suits like this at LSU in recent years. Incidentally, their head HR (common denominator in all these cases) just “retired” a few months ago…after he was put on administrative leave for alleged unprofessional behavior. Looks like you DO reap what you sow…
What goes around comes around…!
McDonald’s paid the person who spilled coffee on themselves $1 million, that doesn’t mean that person was right. Sometimes it is easier and cheaper to pay the person in the wrong than it is to pay the lawyer to prove they were in the wrong.
Interesting that some folks assume he actually did something wrong at LSU when the other articles report that LSU actually paid HIM in the settlement when he sued them for wrongful termination…
I was so hopeful that he would be good for The Showband Of The South. Hopefully they are in good hands until all of this is straightened out. Go Aggies!
Thanks for recommending him to run this excellent band program where he has the opportunity to touch 200+ young impressionable lives Mr. Slayton. The LSU issue was known was he was hired. Wrong just wrong.
trcocarman, he is PRESUMED innocent until proven guilty, but it
sounds like he should run for the Century city council’
Another reason for Not arming teachers..
Tate is an excellent school and they deserve the best teachers. I am confident the administrators will deal with the situation appropriately.
Why weren’t the allegations made publicity? He is innocent until proven guilty.
I hope and pray that what ever this is about will lead to the best possible outcome for Tate Band.