The Pittsburgh school board has voted to keep its new superintendent after a motion was made to rescind his contract amid concerns about his résumé.
Anthony Hamlet’s hiring had been on hold to review whether he overstated the academic improvements at the Palm Beach, Fla., schools where he once served as principal. The district hired a former criminal prosecutor to vet his résumé and called on Hamlet to explain the discrepancies unearthed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and other news agencies.
After the investigation and private meetings with Hamlet, the board voted 7-2 to keep him as the district’s next leader. The board members who voted against keeping him told the Post-Gazette that the prosecutor’s report had raised additional concerns. The content of the report has not been made public.
“He was able to clarify to our satisfaction the issues that arose regarding language, data and his employment experience,” Pittsburgh school board president Regina Holley said in a statement. “Dr. Hamlet is eager to move forward and so are we.”
Hamlet begins his $210,000-a-year job Friday. He will replace Linda Lane, who plans to retire after serving as superintendent since 2010.
“I regret the concern this situation has caused and I apologize to the parents and communities for this unintended distraction,” Hamlet said in a statement.
Here’s a look at the full statements from Holley and Hamlet:
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