Following dozens of resignations and the sudden retirement of Bridgeport’s high school principal, another outgoing female Bridgeport ISD employee detailed what she described as inappropriate interactions with Superintendent Brandon Peavey.
Amy Jezek, Bridgeport’s middle school and high school choir director since 2018, penned a letter to the Bridgeport ISD school board June 7 describing her experience with Peavey after she had accepted a position at Slidell ISD.
On March 29, Jezek said Peavey made a comment while trying to persuade her to remain at Bridgeport ISD. In the letter, Jezek said Peavey attacked the character of Slidell Superintendent Taylor Williams.
“Now knowing I am not the only one that had offensive or inappropriate comments made to them, I feel that you should know what was said to me, which shows a pattern, in my opinion,” Jezek said in the letter.
“Mr. Peavey’s comment, about my then future boss, struck me as very odd and inappropriate, but I had never had a superior speak like that about another person in front of me,” Jezek said. “It really caught me off guard … I was still in shock trying to process what to do with what he said to me.”
When reached, Williams said she is aware of the letter and its contents, but opted not to comment further, stressing the importance of her time and energy being spent on the well-being of Slidell students, staff and community.
Between March and May, Jezek said Peavey attempted to recruit her back to Bridgeport ISD by criticizing the workload of teaching at a smaller school district.
On May 28 following graduation, Peavey approached her again, Jezek said.
“After graduation, as I was leaving, Mr. Peavey again said to me, ‘You let us know when you are tired of teaching 12 grades. We might be looking,'” Jezek said. “I responded that I didn’t think I would get tired of it at all. He then said something that I still don’t know what he meant or understood other than the connotation was very negative. He said, ‘you know that Taylor will get her hooks out.’ Again, I have no idea what that means, but it was obviously not a compliment.”
Each Bridgeport ISD trustee was contacted for comment and asked if the letter was addressed with Peavey. Place 4 trustee James Bost responded.
“The board is aware of the letter, but any discussion would be in executive session and not shareable,” Bost said.
Slidell School Board President Tim Fletcher provided more context. He said Peavey was directed to apologize to Jezek and Williams.
“It was well-known in Bridgeport at the meeting the other night,” Fletcher said. “One of the board members texted me the next day and said, ‘I want you to know we discussed the letter.’ I guess it was discussed in executive session. They discussed the letter, and the board member said Peavey was supposed to get a hold of both parties and apologize to them.”
Fletcher denounced Peavey’s comments and said they were blatantly false, later defending the job Williams has done at Slidell ISD. Under Williams, Slidell has achieved widespread success both academically and in athletics. As recently as May, Slidell won the Class A UIL Academics title.
“I was very upset about it,” Fletcher said. “I thought it was really unethical to say that about Taylor. She has done an excellent job. … They meet every month anyway. Why he would make that comment? I have no idea.”
Jezek said her experience with Peavey “shows a pattern” with Bridgeport ISD’s leadership. In May, longtime Bridgeport High School Principal Jaime Sturdivant, 51, retired. Sturdivant has worked at Bridgeport ISD since 1993.
Sturdivant said she did not plan on retiring this year but did so after an offensive comment was made during a meeting.
“It became apparent to me at that time that I needed to make a decision to retire or resign for my own respect,” Sturdivant said in a May email to the Messenger.
Sturdivant did not disclose the nature of the comment in the email. When reached again, she did not comment further on what was said before the Messenger’s press time.
Jezek is among several educators who have resigned this year at Bridgeport ISD.
Since March, 36 staff members have resigned or retired, according to Bridgeport ISD agenda packets. Notable departures in June include Sturdivant and longtime Bridgeport High School counselor Aimee Burtnett.
Bridgeport ISD has posted three administrative openings, including high school principal, assistant high school principal and BISD business manager/Chief Financial Officer.
Peavey previously addressed staff turnover in May, citing the new athletic director and subsequent coaching changes leading to several resignations.
At last week’s school board meeting, with a standing room only crowd, several people spoke out against district leadership and the amount of turnover this year during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Peavey declined to comment following the June 14 meeting.
After meeting in closed session twice, with the second lasting a little less than two hours, the school board voted 3-2 June 14 against granting Peavey hiring authority during the summer – a traditional practice for school districts to more easily fill open positions before the start of the school year.
The school board will convene again 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Bridgeport Alternative Learning Center. The agenda includes approving the resignation of longtime BISD School Board President Tom Talley, a TASB salary study, approving the 2021-22 hiring schedules and taking action on certified personnel.
Jezek concluded her letter to the board by saying her experience had been weighing on her conscience.
“As you consider the recent events in BISD, especially at BHS, I hope you will take the comments made by the superintendent seriously,” Jezek said. “It makes me very sad to leave my amazing choir students knowing that their leader of the district felt the need to put someone else down in a slanderous way. I just don’t understand why Mr. Peavey thought it was appropriate or a good idea to make any comment, good or bad, about another superintendent to me.”
The Messenger reached out to Peavey for comment on the letter, but he had not responded at press time.
how is this guy still in bridgeport??