KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — After a janitor was accused of intentionally leaving gas valves on in Hardin Valley Academy's chemistry lab, the Knox County Schools Superintendent announced an internal investigation.
In April, KCS announced Dr. Rob Speas, the principal of the school, would be put on administrative leave and an interim principal would be put in his place. A viewer asked if tax money is still being used to pay Speas' salary.
10News reached out to Knox County Schools, the Knox County Sheriff's Office, the District Attorney's office and Rob Speas himself.
We reached out to KCS in hopes of answering questions about the internal review's findings, why Speas is still on leave, and when they expect the issue to be resolved.
KCS said in a statement that Speas was still on paid administrative leave and his salary is $125,916.45 per year. They also told us the internal review is "ongoing" and were unable to comment further.
Then, we reached out to the Knox County Sheriff's Office about the possibility of any criminal charges. They deferred us to the District Attorney's Office. Then, we got a message today from District Attorney General Charme Allen, through a spokesperson.
"After a thorough review of law enforcement's investigative file and applicable Tennessee law, we found that no additional criminal charges were warranted," Allen said. "Any questions about whether KCS policies were followed should be directed to the KCS Superintendent’s Office."
We also reached out to Speas himself, and he said he had no comment.
Still, this is an issue among the Hardin Valley Community. A parent of a senior last year has some concerns about the timeline of the action to resolve the issues.
"Five months seems like a long time to collect a paycheck for doing nothing," Shelli Davis said. "I would like to find a resolution to the situation quickly. I think everybody who pays taxes in Knox County would agree with me."
Speas has been on administrative leave for over five months. According to his salary, he has collected over $50,000 during his paid leave.