SMITHFIELD – Dr. David Johnson, the former president of Johnston Community College, received $175,000 in severance when he resigned earlier this year.
Dr. Johnson announced April 15 he was stepping down after 13 years as college president. His last day on the job was May 15, 2022.
As part of the nine page agreement, Dr. Johnson and the JCC Board of Trustees agreed to terminate his employment contract with the Board receiving final authority over the wording of the announcement of his departure.
In addition to the $175,000 lump sum severance payment, he was paid for vacation and bonuses which accrued through May 15, 2022.
Dr. Johnson agreed to provide reasonable cooperation to the Board, College, and JCC Foundation in administrative matters but not limited to personnel issues, EEOC, and other legal claims and audits through December 31, 2022.
Both the Board of Trustees and Dr. Johnson agreed not to make any “defamatory, disparaging or derogatory comments about the other” and “not to provide information, issue statements or take any action that would cause embarrassment or humiliation or otherwise cause or contribute to the other being held in disrespect.”
The resignation agreement said that the parties “…in no way admit any liability to any part or that it has in any way violated any state or federal law or any other law, regulation or College policy.”
Both JCC and Dr. Johnson agreed not to sue one another. The agreement was signed by Lyn Austin, Chair of the JCC Board of Trustees and Dr. Johnson on April 15, 2022.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE RESIGNATION AND GENERAL RELEASE AGREEMENT
On Wednesday, Lyn Austin told The Johnston County Report, “The board of trustees wishes Dr. Johnson well in his future endeavors. We are assembling a search committee that will be composed of trustees, college employees, and community members to begin the process of identifying Johnston Community College’s next president. We anticipate conducting a thoughtful and thorough search that will attract dozens of highly qualified applicants for consideration. The board believes that JCC is one of the premiere institutions in the state community college system. We are experiencing rapid population and business growth that will require the college to be prepared to train the next generation of Johnston County’s leaders and workforce. The board is confident that JCC is in good hands with our interim president and the college will continue to serve our community during this transition period.”
Johnston Community College officials would not say if Dr. Johnson’s resignation had anything to do with an audit requested in August 2021 by the JCC Board of Trustees involving allegations one or more JCC administrators failed to follow written policy and procedures, including the promotion process. The findings of the audit have never been made public.
Dr. Kenneth Boham was named interim JCC president on May 16, 2022. A nationwide search is underway for the new college president.
Johnston County Public School Superintendent Dr. Ross Renfrow received $75,000 severance when he resigned in August 2019.
Only in government can you quit a job and get a cushy six figure payout.
Happens all the time in the private sector. The term used for some of these payouts is “golden parachute”.
Here’s one example from March 2022: “Moderna’s board of directors approved a golden parachute for CEO Stephane Bancel worth more than $926 million at the end of last year, up from $9.4 million in 2019 before Covid-19 upended the world order.”
Here’s another: “Meg Whitman, chief executive officer (CEO) of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, stood to receive almost $91 million if the company was acquired under her control. She was also promised more than $51 million in compensation if she was terminated.”
This wreaks of wrong doing. The huge payout? Could this be part of the taxpayer money we just gave them in the recent budget that is supposed to go for scholarships? (not a fan of that either). Will they use Triangle J for the nationwide search?
And agree not to make statements against each other.
Taxpayer funded, run like a private business. Where’s the FOIA?
They had to promise not to sue each other? This seems odd.
I wonder if he’ll ever be able to get another job as a college president anywhere else.
Maybe he threatened to sue for a lot more than 175k. Perhaps the board thought he had enough evidence to win that lawsuit and they settled on $175,000 rather than risking having to pay out a lot more.
Absolutely WRONG on every level !!!!! Whomever agreed to pay this needs to be fired!
That money should be in the school system and be used for what it was intended.
sure do feel sorry for rich folks
I heard that he was part of efforts to help kids metriculate there.
Well, it seems like most individuals in this country are getting whatever they can by whatever means is presented to them. No one would turn that kind of money down.
@FedUp: JCC isn’t part of the school system. It’s a community college.
The Board of Trustees investigation needs to be made public. That place was a cesspool of questionable activity at HR level and higher the last few years. So many rats have fled this ship. Even the governor has helped at at least one them. Trustees, you have one job in your title, can’t do it can you?
Since the truth is not forthcoming, that leaves me free to conjecture.
My theory is that they got substantial Federal Covid money that was supposed to go to all of the employees. Instead, the money went to Dr. J and a couple of the favored at the top as large increases/promotions. After the complaints and investigation, some of the money went to all of the employees as a one-time 3-digit bonus, more was used to buy equipment instead of paying anyone, after all the plebes aren’t entitled to any more than they already get, and (some of) those involved were asked to resign as the price of not being prosecuted or blacklisted.
It’s because he got rid of the geese isn’t it?
This place is a revolving door. Money mismanagement in every dept and no one keeps up with it. The very few that do are low on the totem pole and just make a minimum salarey. Fire all the heads and start over..
Demonstrates a level of culpability among both parties. Faculty, staff students and the general public are the ones that bear the burden. Been coming for years and no one wanted to see or hear any of it.
I told my boss I was quitting I asked him when and where I could pick up my severance pay….. he looked at me and laughed.
That’s more than I made over 3 years as a teacher there. This is part of what is wrong with education in general.