BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Nelson County School board member abruptly resigned last week, leaving a sudden vacancy in the middle of a superintendent search.
David Norman emailed his resignation to the state education commissioner Friday after a state investigation found a conflict of interest with his full-time job.
Norman couldn't be reached for comment Monday but WDRB obtained a copy of the email. In it, Norman resigned in two short sentences after three years of service on the school board. He said he recently learned he was ineligible to serve due to his job at the Nelson County Road Department.
"Because of that employment, he was not eligible to serve as a school board member,” Nelson County Schools Interim Superintendent Tom Brown said. “He was not informed at the time that he ran. He was duly elected.”
The Kentucky Attorney General's office sent Norman a letter in late October. It said the Kentucky Office of Education Accountability investigated his employment.
The letter also said the state Constitution and a specific law, KRS 61.080 (1), "prohibit a person from holding a state office and being an employee of a county at the same time."
Brown said Norman was fairly elected, so his resignation should not impact previous decisions made by the school board.
"Anything that he did at any of those board meetings, all of his votes etc., are considered legal,” Brown said.
Brown said he's sad to see Norman go, calling him an advocate for his district, New Haven Schools, and special education.
"He was a good man," Brown said. "He did a good job for Nelson County Schools."
Brown said district parents should not worry and board meetings will continue as usual.
"We'll be doing business as normal,” Brown said.
The school district just launched its search for a new superintendent on Nov. 7. Now the search is on to fill the school board seat as well. The district hopes a new board member will be seated in time to finish the term by February.
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