DeKalb school board approves $325,000 settlement for former superintendent

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School Board signed off on paying more than $300,000 to settle its former superintendent’s contract.

In 2022, the board voted to remove Cheryl Watson-Harris. She told Channel 2 Action News that she was “blindsided” by her firing while the board said their relationship had been “deteriorating for some time to the point the association became irreconcilable.”

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During Monday night’s board meeting, the board approved 6-1 a settlement for $325,000 based on her original contract terms.

The board also agreed to pay $16,000 in attorneys fees.

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Watson-Harris was named superintendent for DeKalb Schools in June 2020.

Before being hired in DeKalb County, Watson-Harris served as first deputy chancellor, senior director of field support and Brooklyn executive director for the New York City Department of Education.

After the board voted to remove her, a Channel 2 Action News investigation learned that members had notified Watson-Harris months prior to the decision that they were not satisfied with many elements of her performance during her first year from July 2020 through June 2021.

The district appointed Dr. Vasanne Tinsley as the interim superintendent before it hired the current superintendent Devon Horton.

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Former DeKalb County superintendent says she was blindsided by firing Former DeKalb County superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris said she was blindsided by the district's decision to fire her.

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