JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Friction between Duval County School Board members and the district Superintendent Nikolai Vitti spilled over this week when text messages by a school board member calling for Vitti to be fired were made public.
The text messages are between school board member Dr. Connie Hall and a district employee last September. In one,she wrote: Fire him now!"
The text messages that were sent by Hall reinforces an issue that is not hidden: issues between the school board and Vitti.
A Miami lawyer requested emails and texts of Hall and two other board members, and a copy of the records was provided to News4Jax news partner WJCT.
In November, Hall wrote a letter to Vitti, where she writes “Your persistent lack of respect when addressing Board members” is a problem… telling Vitti “As superintendent you are expected to model high standards.”
Her text messages appeared to show deeper feelings.
In a September text message to School Board Internal Auditor Michelle Begley, Hall wrote, “I vote, fire him now!!!!!!!!!!!!!” In another text, Hall referenced the resignation of Florida A & M University Board Chair Rufus Montgomery and said she wished it was Vitti who was quitting. Another message mocked Vitti with the words, "Special Ed in action."
READ: Connie Hall's text message exchange
One day after her texts were broadcast on WJCT-FM and WJXT, Hall released a statement apologizing to the board, the superintendent and the community, "For this distraction and any offensive language taken out of context."
“I do believe that the release of this information which was a part of a plethora of other information was specifically orchestrated," Hall wrote. "Be that as it may, it only serves as a distraction for the necessary work that has to be done in order to improve student achievement across this school district.”
Scott Shine, a school board member who supports Vitti’s job as superintendent said there have been problems for decades in the Duval County school district between school boards and superintendents, and this is just the latest battle.
“I think it’s unfortunate. In fact I think it’s important that the people in Jacksonville know that the school board here is dysfunctional; it’s been that way for decades,” Shine said. “I think it’s time we make some changes. I am doing what I can to change that.”
Other board members have not been as eager to joins the fracas.
Board member Cheryl Grimes declined an on camera interview but she admitted, “Yes, there are problems between the board and superintendent obviously, but I just don’t know that I’m ready to say anything.”
“Unfortunately what some of the messaging shows is a clear divide on the board,” said School Board member Jason Fischer, who is not involved in the string of text messages criticizing Vitti.
Vitti said he’s seen the texts, and he’s not surprised. In an emailed statement, Vitti said Hall’s comments speak to a hostile work environment created by certain board members.
"The change that I have implemented and proposed to implement has been deeply resented and contested by some board members,” Vitti wrote. “This is sometimes done through constructive means and at other times through means that are unprofessional."
Vitti was brought into the district in 2012 as a change agent. He said sometimes his changes have caused tension, and that reached a peak when he announced boundary changes for many schools last year.
The School Board unanimously voted to renew Vitt's contract when it came up, but Hall sent a letter criticizing what she called Vitti's "persistent lack of respect when addressing board members.”
Robert H. Fernandez, an attorney with Zumpano Castro law firm, requested Hall’s texts and emails, along with those of board members Paula Wright and Becki Couch. A phone message to the firm asking why it targeted the three was not returned to WJCT, which has also placed calls requesting comment from Hall and Begley.
News4Jax reached out to the South Florida attorney who pushed for the open records request to get these text messages. So far have there has been no response. No one News4Jax spoke to knows who hired the attorney to get these records public.