School board investigates superintendent

NEWS 9

The superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools is the subject of a school board investigation, NEWS 9 learned Friday.

Board members are looking into questions of responsibility and accountability of John Porter during his first six months in the district's top post, Board Chairman Cliff Hudson said.

The results of the investigation are to be discussed at Monday's Board meeting, which was originally scheduled for 5:30 p.m., but was changed just a couple of days ago to 8 a.m.

"Because of that change, they took away the opportunity of citizens not only in northeast Oklahoma City, but of all of Oklahoma City to have an opportunity to speak and that's disappointing," said Rep. Mike Shelton (D-Oklahoma City)

Leaders in the black community said they think the time change was made deliberately to thwart an effort to get Porter supporters at the meeting in large numbers.

Chairman Hudson issued a statement Friday afternoon regarding the time of the meeting.

"In an effort to ensure ample time and opportunity to discuss personnel matters pertaining to potentially inappropriate activities by Superintendent John Q. Porter, the Board agreed it would be best to discuss personnel matters at the start of the day," the statement read.

NEWS 9 also learned Friday that Superintendent Porter filed an injunction Friday, in an effort to prevent the Board from meeting on Monday and discussing his case. His petition was denied.

Porter replaced Superintendent Bob Moore who left in 2006 for a job in Victoria, Texas.

School board members hired Porter in April 2007 after conducting a year-long search.

Porter took the helm July 1 after leaving his position as deputy superintendent of Montgomery County Public School District in Rockville, Md.

Porter started at the same time as three other senior administrators.

The three new hires resigned a couple weeks later.

Officials said the investigation was prompted by their concerns of responsibility and accountability including the number of new hires who have resigned.