By Fallan Patterson

Staff Writer

Osceola County School District Superintendent Terry Andrews in an email to district administrators Thursday evening announced he is moving up his impending retirement date by nine months due to numerous allegations by School Board member Cindy Hartig.

Andrews was slated to retire in June 2013.  However, after Tuesday’s School Board meeting where Chairwoman Barbara Horn motioned for his termination due to breach of contract and Hartig’s 45 minute presentation of evidence of his alleged wrongdoings, Andrews will now retire October 31.

“It was clear to me at the June 19th School Board meeting that the allegations set forth by Ms. Hartig and Ms. Horn were actually taken into consideration by two of the other Board members,” Andrews wrote in the email, “For the record, I deny these unproven, damaging and false accusations. If I have not proven objectively to this Board, my accomplishments and intentions for this district over the last year, then there is no point in continuing.

“Ms. Hartig will go to any lengths and will not stop until she has ruined me and in that process, ruined the forward progress the district has made to date and continue to hurt innocent people,” he added. “As stated during the June 19th Board meeting, I am very proud of the faculties, staff and students of this county and wish them all continued success. It has been an honor to serve in this district.”

Andrews sent his email attached with multiple emails from various School Board members questioning some of the allegations Hartig set forth Tuesday.

“The distortion of words by Mr. Andrews and picking out only parts of a meeting that for is yet another violation of his contract and both the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct,” Hartig said in an email to School Board attorney Larry Brown, which was included in Andrews retirement announcement. “I would encourage everyone to go back and listen to the admission of non-truths Mr. Andrews told (Tuesday), and let your conscience be your guide.”

In Tuesday’s meeting, Hartig took offense to Andrews stating at an April workshop that board members attend meetings without reading their agendas, lacking preparation on issues and failing to answer phone calls.

Hartig alleged Andrews disparaged the School Board by stating the exorbitant legal fees the Osceola County School District are due to lawsuits because of board members. She challenged his statement by providing multiple examples of legal, issues including 97 discrimination cases from employees and lawsuits pertaining to facilities and imminent domain.

Hartig also alleged Andrews breeched his contract for failing to terminate district employees for a variety of misconduct, including a coach who took a questionable photograph with a student and a teacher who allegedly got drunk at a golf tournament and “mooned” attendees on the course.

Hartig also alleged Tuesday Andrews previously said he was afraid to fire a black principal because of her race and a potential lawsuit.

“I made a mistake when I agreed to appointing Mr. Andrews and I will stick my neck out to correct my mistake,” Hartig said in the email.

School Board Jay Wheeler was the lone vote against appointing Andrews as superintendent in June 2011 after the School Board forced former superintendent Michael Grego out of the position and held an extensive replacement search. He was first appointed as interim superintendent in April after Grego left.

Wheeler called Hartig's presentation, in which she cited multiple statues Andrews had allegedly violated, as “political grandstanding” and not the way to win an election.

“I don't believe anything in here. Mr. Andrews has done everything he can to move this school district forward despite that fact that we have board members who show up (to meetings) unprepared,” he said Tuesday. “Getting rid of Mr. Andrews is the worst thing we could do for this school district right now with where we're at.”