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Superintendent Rainwater asked to resign

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Annie Laurie Gaylor of the Freedom from Religion Foundation called for Madison Supt. Art Rainwater’s resignation in a letter written last Tuesday.

At Monday’s emergency school board meeting, a table and banner urged the recall of school board members based on their controversial policy removing the Pledge of Allegiance from Madison schools.

According to the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education Policies and Procedures, “no employee shall use district property, sources, facilities ? to promote any political candidate, party or cause.”

Further, the Code of Conduct for employees in violation of school district policy makes them subject to dismissal, including for faulty “exercise of judgment” and “inaction.”

Gaylor said Rainwater took no action to remove a banner and table placed at a crucial site and during a controversial time at Monday’s emergency school board meeting.

“The point is the table was up, and [Rainwater] knew the table was up,” Gaylor said. “By inaction or action, he can be dismissed.”

Rainwater said Gaylor’s claims have no validity.

“There’s absolutely nothing to her allegations,” Rainwater said. “I’m obviously not going to resign.”

Gaylor said she spoke with Rainwater Monday, Oct. 15, at about 4:30 p.m. to complain about the presence of the ‘recall table.’ Rainwater responded the meeting was a ‘public forum,’ implying the table had a right to remain in the building.

However, Rainwater said he did make sure the table was removed.

“As soon as we found it out, we had them remove it and that was the end of it,” he said.

Gaylor said no kind of legal action will take place in this matter as of yet. However, she has asked the district attorney to see if Rainwater’s inaction violates state statute.

“There should be some sort of consequence for this,” she said. “They did not have a permit.”

Gaylor said the school board should decide Rainwater’s fate, but they are also in a strange position.

“They are between a rock and a hard place ? three members were the focus of the recall themselves,” she said.

Rainwater said no one else has reacted to these claims.

“There has been no response; I’ve heard absolutely nothing from people in the community,” Rainwater said.