Charleston County Schools Administrator Dismissed Following Complaint Investigation

Charleston County Schools Administrator Dismissed Following Complaint Investigation

John Cobb, a prominent administrator of the Charleston County School District, has been relieved of his duties following an exhaustive investigation into allegations of mismanagement of federal funds and jeopardizing the personal data of several employees.

Cobb, who served as the Executive Director of Federal Programs, was tasked with sanctioning expenses for programs funded by the Federal American Rescue Plan Emergency Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. His position involved the supervision of a significant $163 million fund that influences 87 schools.

However, the circumstances changed on Monday when Superintendent Anita Huggins issued a termination letter to Cobb, highlighting the results of an investigation that was initiated in April 2024. After the launch of this investigation, Cobb filled a formal complaint, alleging Huggins and other members of the school administration of creating a hostile work environment. However, the investigators have dismissed these allegations as baseless.

In-depth Investigation Leads to Findings of Mismanagement

The investigation was prompted by multiple vendors of the district approaching Superintendent Huggins about unpaid bills. The final report stemming from the exploration found that Cobb had delayed payments to vendors, declined to approve expenses that had already received school board approval, and was generally challenging to communicate with.

A significant finding noted Cobb’s delayed responses to inquiries from teachers and other staff members about the usage of ESSER funds. Investigators said Cobb often failed to provide timely, accurate, or sufficient information in his responses.

Financial and Data Mishandling

The Superintendent stated in the termination letter, “Your negligence with regard to processing these funds created the unapproved use of funds that impacted the District’s General Operating Fund in excess of $3 million. Your actions, or lack thereof, placed the District in a position of legal exposure.”

In addition to mismanaging the ESSER funds, Huggins relayed further alarming findings that Cobb had compromised the personal data of nearly 7,000 employees. According to the report, Cobb forwarded roughly 2,200 district emails to a personal account since June 2012, one of them containing payroll and benefits information. However, it was confirmed that no Social Security Numbers were exposed in this data incident.

The specific employees impacted by this data breach remain unknown. However, at least one teacher confirmed that they have received no communication about the matter.

Cobb now has a 15-day window to contest his termination. However, he has yet to provide any public comment on the matter.