Former School Board, Superintendent File Lawsuits

Just when you thought that the dust had finally settled between the Monroe City Schools Board and former Superintendent Brent Vidrine over his controversial retirement. The two now find themselves involved in competing lawsuits. Vidrine fired the first volley across the bow of the school board when he filed a lawsuit claiming that the board failed to properly execute provisions in a contract agreement related to his retirement. In that agreement, the Board was supposed to pay Vidrine funds into his retirement through TRGL, but instead, those funds went directly to Vidrine. Between March 2021 through March 2022, approximately $317,046 was paid to Vidrine, but was "mischaracterized" on the 2021 IRS w-2 form. This resulted into an alleged financial loss in the form of income tax to Vidrine. MCBS allegedly in an email acknowledged through its legal counsel that the funds were "owed" to Vidrine. Vidrine would claim that a settlement was reached with MCSB where "all claims were resolved", but Vidrine's lawsuit contends that he has "upheld" the October 2023 agreement regarding his retirement payments. The years in question are 2018, 2019 and 2020. Now it appears that a lawsuit may be the only way to bring closure, though for many in the community, the latest conflict between the superintendent and the board may cast an image of a board not being competent in handling "complex" financial issues regarding high-paying positions such as superintendents when it seems that he can write his own contract. Some may see it as "certain people" who are caught in matters involving money, can be allowed to resign/retire without any legal repercussions being placed on them. Perhaps, one can reasonably ask, "have things really changed?".