KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Roger Kane has abruptly left his job as Knox County's newly created education liaison after a stint of some six months.
Kane appeared Tuesday night before Knox County Commission at a workshop for a presentation. Shortly after that he was gone.
Rob Link, spokesman for the mayor, told 10News that Kane resigned Wednesday morning.
He declined to say if Kane was pressured to get out, referring to a statement issued by Mayor Glenn Jacobs.
"The top priority of my administration is to make Knox County the best community possible, and the quality of our schools plays a major role in achieving that goal," the statement reads. "Open lines of communication and collaboration between Knox County government and Knox County Schools are essential and remain a top priority for my office. I look forward to continuing our partnership with the superintendent's office as well as the Knox County School Board to continue providing top notch education to our children.
"I'd like to thank Roger Kane for both his service in the General Assembly and his work in my office."
Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay said Kane's presentation Tuesday "was very uncomfortable."
"What I was most interested in -- and my fellow commissioners were interested in -- was getting an update on a comprehensive view of what his focus was, what his role and responsibility was, and how it was going in a general sense to further education, and what was presented was a little bit of a tick list, a book report of all the things he's done.
"It wasn't something we asked for."
Jay co-chairs a joint education committee of commissioners and school board members that aims to promote dialogue and improve relations.
Kane was receiving a salary of about $70,000. Jacobs, elected in August, created the post along with that of diversity development manager.
His time as a county employee drew criticism from the start. Some privately thought it was a bad hire.
Link declined to address the job Kane was doing.
"We're sticking to the statement," he said.
Some school board members including Jennifer Owen as well as educators criticized Kane's past support in the Legislature for school vouchers, a means by which parents could use public school funding to seek alternative education options for their child.
Kane, a Republican of Knoxville, chose last year not to run for another two-year term representing the 89th House District in the General Assembly. In May, he ran against Sherry Witt for Knox County clerk, and Witt won.
An insurance agency owner, Kane has chaired the House Education Instruction & Programs Subcommittee. In his biography, Kane says he has a "lifetime teaching degree" from the state of Texas.
He also says he's trained hundreds of agents and customer service representatives to become insurance agents in Tennessee and Georgia.