The Antioch Unified School District in California fired Superintendent Stephanie Anello after it was revealed that a mid-level supervisor, Kenneth Turnage II, and a friend of Anello’s family, played a cruel joke on a subordinate by moving his desk onto a roof in a maintenance yard. This incident led to public outrage and calls for Anello’s removal since it was disclosed in April by NBC Bay Area. The school board met behind closed doors and announced the termination of Anello’s employment contract with a 5-0 vote. The board president, Antonio Hernandez, made the announcement that Anello’s employment agreement was terminated, and there was applause from the attendees.
Turnage had previously made controversial statements about Covid-19, stating that the impacts were being overstated, which garnered national attention. Anello was not present at the meeting, and both she and Turnage could not be reached for comment following the announcement. Anello was paid over $307,000 in 2022, while Turnage earned less at a little over $79,000. The superintendent’s compensation package included overtime and fringe benefits, bringing her total compensation to more than $324,000, while Turnage’s total compensation was slightly over $103,000. The termination of Anello’s contract marks the end of her tenure as superintendent of the Antioch Unified School District.
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