The Leon County School Board is set to vote this Monday on a $100,000 settlement with former superintendent Jackie Pons.
The legal dispute is related to a Board policy that Pons believes required LCS to hire him as a principal after he lost his re-election bid in 2016 to Rocky Hanna.
Board Policy 1430 states that “Any employee of the Board who is elected or appointed to the office of the Board or the office of the Superintendent shall be on an unpaid leave of absence from his/her current position for the duration of his/her service in office. Individuals serving in office shall retain the right to return to a position comparable to that held prior to serving in office. Return is subject to certification requirements.”
But the school board voted not to rehire Pons based on the fact that he was not an employee when the policy was adopted.
Reports indicate that Pons was seeking nearly $700,000 if the employment dispute couldn’t be resolved through mediation.
The settlement prohibits Pons from applying or seeking future employment with the Leon County School Board or the Leon County School system or the Leon County School District.
Under the agreement Pons could still run for superintendent in 2020.
Superintendent Rocky Hanna told the Tallahassee Democrat that “Mr. Pons and his attorney played the always popular lawsuit game. He threatened to sue the Leon County School Board for $700,000 and force our insurance company to make a business decision. If it was up to me, I would not give him a penny. I have zero respect for people who file frivolous lawsuits against our public school system at the expense of our children.”
LCS to Consider $100,000 Pons Settlement added by Steve Stewart on
View all posts by Steve Stewart →
Jackie boy needs to shut up. Stop lying Jackie boy. You skated charges by the skin of your teeth. If you were so innocent, why did it take 5 years to clear you. Hannah didn’t make up didley. You engaged in corrupt and nefarious acts. You moved Hannah because you saw him as a threat to you. Stop posting here also, everybody knows it’s you.
Jonathan,
In an interview with the school board attorney Hank Coxe, Rocky Hanna ADMITTED HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY WRONGDOING, Woody Hilderbrandt acknowledged he had no knowledge of anything criminal. A US Attorney said there was no case, case closed When was the last time the FBI or the US Attorney acknowledge d a case was closed? Almost never.
Further, the attorney for the school board found no issue with criminal or intended criminality. For additional information please note the Department of Education found no merit in the notebook. To top things off To Hanna ALSO ADMITTED HE WROTE THE MISLEADING SUMMARIES IN EACH SECTION OF THE NOTEBOOK.
Please direct your anger to the one person that caused the district $600,000 while purposely misleading state and federal authorities.
Rocky Hanna was moved because he did date a teacher he evaluated, he bullied the teacher into a financial settlement and transfer, he was non responsive to parents of special needs students, he admitted he came in late, he admitted he went home during the day to take naps- never signing out to do so and more. Should we also mention misleading parents and students with the graduation speech that Rocky repeated year after year…”having no children of my own” – we know that Rocky knew he father a child for 10 years and hid from child support.
Please read the report of Hank Coxe and the affidavit from the teacher that Rocky dated at his school while he supervised and evaluated the teacher.
To School Board Memberr/Chair Wood:
You said” it is a bitter pill to swallow” about the Pons settlement, but, you are Silent that Rocky Hanna cost the district $600,000 due to his vendetta. You are silent that Rocky Hanna used his school board email to settle a case in which he admitted he never paid child support, owing $100,000. How about the board taking a stand on child neglect.
Rocky, nice use of the work email system. By the way, every contract that Hanna put in his notebook was authorized and approved by Jeff Walhen the school board attorney. It is school board members inaction that has caused legislatures to put in term limits. Is it a bitter pill to swallow that you know as do your fellow board members that Rocky enacted a “hit list” but you have done nothing.
Scott, you have such a “FairView”.
I am against paying this man one red cent. Mr. Pons only has himself to blame. Rocky Hanna was perfectly fine being the Prinicipal at Leon High School and would still be there had Mr. Pons not removed him from the position against his will. Karma is something else ain’t it Mr. Pons? You remove Rocky from office and then he removes you from yours. I bet those sour grapes taste rather putrid but you can eat them on your own without a dime from our schools.
Scott,
Dating teachers you supervise, that’s okay as principal of Leon high School? Coming in late often as principal of Leon High School, that’s okay? Rocky has admitted he went home during the day and took naps, that’s okay? There are serious allegations about the ethical behavior of Mr Hanna when he was at Leon high School from dating teachers, coming in late, leaving early, non-responsive to parents of students with special needs, let’s not even begin to discuss the comments that he makes about students behind their backs to teachers. how many graduation ceremonies did Rocky recite “having no children of my own, you are my children” blatant lies by Mr Hanna when he knew he had a child and he did not pay child support for 10 years. to shed a tear for anything that Rocky Hanna has done or do excuse his behavior is to further empower a bully.
Everyone in this community should read the affidavit from the teacher that Rocky dated while he was the principal a teacher he forced into transferring with a monetary settlement along with the results of the Hank Coxe report. There will be no room for anyone to suggest anything other than unethical behavior by Mr Hanna on all counts.
Extortion? After Pons’ life and career were ruined by false allegations Rocky Hanna has admitted he created? All of these lawsuits and potential lawsuits are directly attributable to Hanna. Hanna, with the help of the Democrat, has completely mislead this community. And he will probably have more lawsuits ( such as Stephen Shelton’s where the State has already confirmed that Hanna behaved illegally). Hope the community is aware of what a loser and a liar they have elected.
We do not need a re-match of 2016 in 2020 for Superintendent. Leon County Schools needs new direction and new leadership. The ideal candidate would be MRV. Also, in 2020 we get to replace three school board members.
” I have zero respect for people who file frivolous lawsuits against our public school system at the expense of our children.” ” …………………… This is something YOU Caused so maybe it should come out of YOUR Salary……….
Mr. Pons’ attorney is widely respected and is hardly someone who engages in extortion or files frivolous lawsuits. I think people would be surprised at how much support Pons still has even after the lost election – probably one of the most surprised people would be Rocky. Rocky should of just taken the high road and stopped the political gamemanship. His behavior is going to cost him the election in 2020 if it hasn’t already. I personally think Pons has a shot of winning back the superintendent seat.
Great comments! Never underestimate the reign of fear created by Rocky Hanna within the school system. Immediately after the election Rocky Hanna put his “hit list” in action, sending the first of several signals to every employee that Rocky’s vendettas are real, he will destroy the lives of people who he does not like. Rocky showed what level he will stoop to when he used doctored photos and a man with who gave a false name at a school board meeting to further dirty up Mr. Pons. Rocky and his allies are power hungry individuals who give out pay raises and promotions as rewards to a few select staff while teachers get less than one dollar per hour raise.
Make no mistake, Rocky Hanna will use people and unethical tactics to dirty up anyone that speaks against him or runs against him.
Whoever files to run against Hanna, know that Rocky will have you followed, send malicious false information about you to state and federal authorities, he will write a new chapter in unethical behavior.
Parents need to speak up early and often, if you have a special needs child or a student that requires specialized academic needs what has Hanna and his hand picked staff done for your child?
This is so misguided and reeks of Insider politics which have destroyed Tallahassee. This is nothing but extortion extortion extortion and the attorney should be brought up on a complaint with the Florida bar!
This should not even have been placed on the agenda and this is the same thing as the Zifferer slip and fall $100,000 windfall that was an affront and disgrace to taxpayers… and illegal!
Extortion is what Rocky Hanna did when he committed fraud and extorted the school system for $600,000 knowing that everything he sent to the FBI was misguided, untrue put together by Rocky himself to dirty someone up.Rockingham admitted he had no knowledge of any wrong doing, he admitted he gathered the documents, he admitted he wrote the summaries which were all false and purposely misleading, he admitted he circulated the notebook. Extortion Rocky Hana’s at the head of the class. Illegal is the school board never admonishing Rocky Hana for causing $600,000 of taxpayer funds to be diverted on an investigation to dirty up someone that Rocky didn’t like.
It’s about a sore loser and his sore loser Pals that can’t get over his loss at the polls.
It’s called politics and if Pons has a question about his entitlement to school funds then he needs to bring a lawsuit through the civil litigation path rather than try to extort money from the local school board.
Perhaps, the school board could reevaluate Pon’s being able to be a principal as I believe he was a good principal.
Maybe that could be the win-win for everyone. Make Pons principal at a school that is a D or F school and see if Pons can bring that school back to an “A” school… If so, maybe Pons should consider running again in 2020 for superintendent.
Hope,
This is a settlement that the school district is entering into without a lawsuit ever being filed. If the school district is settling something without a lawsuit one would think that means they know they are at high-risk of loosing a lawsuit.
A civil case would be slander and defamation which is something that could be easily traced to Mr Hanna having repeatedly stated that Mr Pons is a crook and should be in jail, however, the US attorney in the FBI dropped the case and publicly stated that there was no case. Mr Hanna should face the consequences of his actions of costing taxpayers $600,000 by a public admonishment from the school board, a revocation of his teaching certificate and a recall at the polls.
Fiddledeedee…
I am asking for a reprint of page 12 of the Hank Coxe report to the School Board. Rocky Hanna states to the school board attorney that he had No Knowledge of Any Wrongdoing, yet Rocky developed and circulated a notebook to federal and state law enforcement that cost taxpayers over $600,000 on his vendetta against Mr. Pons. Further, Rocky admitted he wrote the knowingly false and misleading summaries in each section. Rocky refused to fully cooperate and answer all questions put to him by the school board attorney.
Rocky you are purposely misleading the public on the issue at hand.
As for Rocky’s comments “Superintendent Rocky Hanna told the Tallahassee Democrat that “Mr. Pons and his attorney played the always popular lawsuit game. He threatened to sue the Leon County School Board for $700,000 and force our insurance company to make a business decision. If it was up to me, I would not give him a penny. I have zero respect for people who file frivolous lawsuits against our public school system at the expense of our children.” Rocky you cost taxpayers over $600,000 with a knowingly false investigation! The community should be outraged by the behavior of Rocky Hanna.
Rocky purposely misled state and federal authorities, Rocky purposely hid from child support obligations until sued, Rocky broke a school board policy when he did not rehire Mr. Pons, Rocky initiatated a “hit list” causing emotional distress to those on the list.
Rocky Hanna you have committed numerous ethical violations that should be submitted to the Florida Department of Education for review.
The school board has yet to admonish Rocky for costing taxpayers over $600,000 on his vendetta against Mr. Pons.
This is extortion and should not even be considered. Since when do we reward the loser of a race with money meant to educate our children.
Pons ran a terrible campaign that was nasty and needs to deal with his loss. Get over it!
Hope,
This lawsuit is about Rocky not following a Board policy, because he was and is on a deep seeded vendetta against Mr. Pons. At the direction of Rocky Hanna, the school board did not follow a policy. Rocky fully understood this would end up in litigation, he and he alone caused this issue. Rocky Hanna continues to be bent on dirtying up the only person in school system that ever held him accountable for his behavior. The facts are obscured by Hanna not wanting to admit the facts. This is not extortion, it is about not following a board policy. Rocky Hanna cost taxpayers $600,000 to try and ruin someone, who will he do this to next?
Hanna has already enacted a “hit list” ruining other lives.
I wonder if Supt. Hanna will have the same opinion in 2020. If he decides not to seek re-election or does not win, will he want to return to the school district as an employee? If the Board does not hire him, will he be offered a cash award to go away? The Board needs to can this policy. Did Comm. Maddox and Richardson get hired by a Board policy that we do not know about. School Board you do not look good!
Pons deserves every penny he can get. Hanna should be let go as he is an awful person. Hope Pons runs again. Our school system was so much better then.
Do NOT pay one cent!
In that same voice are you asking for the school board to hold Rocky Hanna accountable for costing g taxpayers over $600,000 for the cost of the investigation that Rocky put forth? Hanna admitted he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing, he admitted he circulated the notebook, he admitted he wrote the false and misleading summaries to each section in the notebook.
Are you demanding with the same voice that Rocky repay the district the cost of the settlement that he caused by dating and bullying a teacher he supervised and evaluated as Principal of Leon High School?
A Ponsi scheme on taxpayers.
But a lousy policy, as well.
Do not vote to re-elect any of these clowns.
Good one!