A school superintendent in California, Stephanie Anello, was fired after she was accused of protecting a friend who allegedly bullied and harassed other employees. The friend, Kenneth Turnage, is the director of maintenance, operations, and facilities at the Antioch Unified School District.
The school district’s board voted unanimously on Thursday to end Anello’s contract. The decision was met with applause from people who had experienced problems under her leadership.
Turnage, who is a close friend of Anello and her husband, was accused of playing a mean prank on a worker named Jim Kesser. In January 2023, Turnage allegedly told other employees to move Kesser’s desk and chair onto the roof of a building where he worked. The rooftop setup even had a sign that said “Kesser’s access.”
Kesser, who wasn’t at work that day, found out about the prank when his coworkers sent him pictures. He believes the prank was meant to humiliate him because he had refused to do certain tasks at work. The stress from the incident was so severe that Kesser later had to go to the emergency room, thinking he was having a heart attack, but it turned out to be panic attacks.
Turnage’s bullying allegedly caused other employees to go on medical leave due to stress, and one person even retired early. Despite multiple complaints from workers, including Kim Atkinson, who worked under Turnage, the district’s human resources department dismissed the complaints, calling the incident a prank.
After the vote to fire Anello, she sent an email expressing mixed emotions but also gratitude for her long career in the district, which spanned over 25 years. Anello had been on medical leave since May, and during her time as superintendent, she earned $324,000 in 2022. Turnage, who earned about $103,000, was placed on administrative leave while the district investigates further bullying claims.