Three retired principals are suing Tucson Unified School District saying they were underpaid.
David Davies, Stacie Emert and Robin Weldon all retired at the end of the 2015-2016 school year. Davies served at Gridley Middle, Emert at Wheeler Elementary and Weldon, Miles Exploratory Learning Center.
Their retirement agreement allowed them to cash in portions of unused sick time. The former principals allege that the district used a smaller rate than was negotiated to calculate their sick leave payouts, resulting in an average of about $6,600 in underpayment for each person.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this year in Pima County Superior Court, says the three principalsโ administrative daily rate was negotiated at $300 for the 2015-2016 school year, which they believed would be used to calculate their sick leave payouts.
But the district used a $250 rate, and โfailed to offer any justification for this lower multiplier rate,โ the complaint alleges. Davies says heโs owed $6,522.75, Emert, $7,566.95 and Weldon, $5,651.13.
In response to the complaint, TUSD denied those allegations in an April court filing. Stefanie Boe, a TUSD spokeswoman, said the district would not comment on pending litigation.
Since the lawsuit was filed, TUSD administration has had a turnover, said Ned Garn, the principalsโ attorney.
Many people who were at the negotiating table with the principalsโ bargaining representative, Educational Leaders, Inc., no longer work for TUSD, he said. Shannon Roberts, employee relations director, and Julie Tolleson, an attorney, have left since. Anna Maiden, chief human resources officer, is also on her way out.
โIt will be interesting to see if the new power structure respects TUSDโs obligations or if theyโre going to continue to adopt the position of the previous power structure,โ Garn said.
