Former Flint schools financial chief claims district fired her because she is black

Former Flint schools financial chief claims district fired her because she is black | MLive.com:

Pabst alleged that Flint schools Interim Superintendent Lawrence Watkins told Derricks after the Lansing meeting that the district had difficulty interacting with state education officials because "there were a lot of white faces looking at the poor blacks from Flint Community Schools."

"They just got a white face to interface with the Lansing people," Pabst said of the district's decision to remove Derricks.

Flint school' spokesman Bob Campbell declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Attorneys representing the district filed a motion seeking a more definitive statement in Derricks' complaint, arguing the lawsuit is "so vague or ambiguous that (the district) can not properly prepare a response," to the allegations, according to court records. 

School board members in January approved contracting financial services to Linda Holloway, a Certified Public Accountant with CIVA, LLC. The board will pay Holloway $120 per hour for financial work and $150 per hour for attending to "board meetings and consultation," according to the board resolution.

The decision to hire Holloway came following the departure of former district Superintendent Linda Thompson. Prior to Thompson's departure, the board criticized her for poor management and financial oversight.

But, Pabst said that Derricks did a satisfactory job with the district.

"They never told her she did anything wrong," said Pabst.