Anniston BOE to discuss Felton's employment

By Steve Ivey
Star Staff Writer

The Anniston Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in a special session to discuss the employment of Superintendent Sammy Lee Felton.

An announcement of the agenda, required by state law for all public meetings, lists Felton's status with the system as the only item for discussion.

Felton has squared off with some board members this summer over an assistant principal at Anniston High School.

In May, Felton recommended not renewing the contract of Charles Gregory. The board approved the move among a block of other personnel matters taken en masse, but three members have since said they did not see Gregory's name and have asked for a chance to re-instate him.

Three times Felton has recommended someone else for the post, and the board has rejected the candidate each time.

At the end of a July meeting, board member Nathaniel Davis made the first public call to end Felton's contract. A 2-2 vote stalled the issue, and no one made a similar motion at the regular August meeting last week.

Felton came to Anniston in August 2002 from Greenville, Miss. He is under contract through April 2009 and is set to earn about $200,000 between now and then.