Atlanta’s top school official has resigned and is fighting to keep a report investigating his background secret.
Former schools chief Donyall Dickey had been expected to leave Atlanta this spring to become superintendent of the Portland, Ore., schools. He was Portland’s sole finalist for the job and submitted his resignation from his job supervising the academic side of all Atlanta schools on May 1, three days before Portland officials announced that Dickey wouldn’t be joining their district.
The Portland school board hired a firm to look into Dickey’s background before formally hiring him. That report—and Dickey’s responses to it—ultimately became a key reason the board soured on hiring him, according to The Oregonian. Portland officials cited “lack of candor” about past troubles.
It’s unclear what exactly is in the report. Newspapers in both Atlanta and Portland asked to see the report under Oregon’s public-records law. A lawyer representing Dickey asked the district to keep the report secret. The district refused to release it, as have other officials.
