Spotsylvania County Public Schools offered its superintendent job to a man who allegedly has no professional educational experience.
ABC affiliate WJLA reports the school board voted 4 to 3 to hire Mark Taylor and offered him a $275,000 annual salary. He signed the contract Monday, which also guarantees him $5,000 in moving expenses and a starting date of November 1.
So, here’s why people have an issue with Taylor’s hiring. The biggest problem is that the man has no public education experience. Instead, he’s worked as a county attorney and for Spotsylvania County as its county commissioner.
Board member Nicole Cole, who voted against Taylor’s appointment, said, “I want to make sure the public realizes there are provisions in this contract that are out of the norm for the offer of pay, for someone who does not meet half the job description qualifications.”
Cole is now filing suit to appeal the Virginia Board of Education licensing Taylor for the job.
Others are slamming the hiring decision because Taylor is apparently buddies with the school board chairman, Kirk Twigg. And if that wasn’t enough, Taylor has also allegedly posted homophobic and racist content on social media. He also allegedly made posts that are anti-public education.
And, in an even more bizarre twist, Taylor’s daughter — whom he homeschooled — has beseeched the board not to hire her dad. “Mark Taylor is beyond underqualified for this position,” wrote Jael Taylor. “I believe he would be detrimental to the well-being of future students.”
“I can say that both Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are transphobic and homophobic, and I have known them to be casually, carelessly, and almost unintentionally racist,” she added.
Either way, Taylor wins. Even if he’s fired, the contract he signed guarantees full pay for three years.