I am including the full response by the Bibb Board of Education to the recently filed arbitration suit filed by former superintendent Romain Dallemand.
This is a 28 page document but essentially it says that the Bibb Board of education has no intention of settling or surrendering. In fact they are countersuing which will make a lot of people extremely happy. It is fair to say that the BOE just fought fire with an inferno because they are finally and unequivocally revealing all the fraud committed by Dallemand and asking for all that money back.
If anyone chooses to download this document please give us full attribution with a link to this page or website if you republish the document.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during the discussions about this response. I don’t have to be a mind reader to know that Wanda West, Ella Carter, and Tom Hudson were none too happy about this document especially since they are listed in the document as members of the BOE5 which were Dallemnd’s rubber stamp brigade.
Highlights of Bibb BOE Response
Pages 1-5 answer the charges by Dallemand and say they are null and void. It is a twenty point list that includes the reasons why his suit is without merit and cites the revenant law. I especially enjoyed reading the part that said his suit was filed for harassment and his claims are substantially frivolous, groundless, and vexatious.Why should his suit be any different than the man himself?
On page 6 the Bibb BOE begins their counterclaim which continues for 71 points until around page 24. I was both delighted and surprised to see that this response in points 3 through 6 on pages 6 and 7 goes into great detail about the infamous BOE5 and the role they played. The BOE 5 were the five previous BOE members that were partners in crime to Dallemand. Wanda West, Ella Carter, and Tom Hudson who are still seated on the current BOE were part of this group. Tommy Barnes and Susan Middleton are no longer members. I don’t see any scenario where West, Carter, and Hudson can remain on the current BOE now that the cat is out of the bag about the role they played. They really should resign before they are disgraced even further.
The case could be headed to a trial before an arbitrator, who’ll decide if either party violated their contract or severance deal. The school board wrote that it wants former Superintendent Romain Dallemand to pay more than $7.3 million that they said he owes them. This will make a lot of people in Bibb very happy to read.
Dallemand asked the system for $10 million in damages at which time I wrote that he deserved at least 10 years instead. He is claiming they violated their severance agreement and committed “libel and slander” against him. This comes two years after Dallemand left, in February 2013. Hard to commit slander or libel from telling the truth Romain. 😉
A February 2014 audit showed the former superintendent improperly approved more than $50 million in contracts. In the document filed today, the Bibb County Board of Education and district are seeking Dallemand’s severance of $350,000, his pension, legal fees and funds for purchases made without the board’s approval. They’re asking Dallemand to personally repay around $7 million in payments wired to two companies.
The school board claims the payments were not authorized and the district can’t use many of the items purchased. Dallemand’s filing cites paragraph 6 of his severance agreement that states he is released from “all claims, known or unknown.” That agreement also says board members and Dallemand “will not make any statement of any kind, whether verbally or in written form, or otherwise take any action, that may reasonably be considered to disparage of impugn the other’s work and/or reputation.”
Bibb wants $3,247,200 for technology allegedly ordered by the former superintendent from Pinnacle/CSG without approval. In the filing with the American Arbitration Association, the system says he bought various teacher pay tracking systems and an accounting system from the company, plus 80 hours of training and a license fee.
The more than $3 million was wired to the company on Dec. 19, 2012. The school board states it didn’t receive all of the items procured, and “the items it has received are of no use to the District.” It did not go into further detail.
Two days later, on Dec. 21, 2012, the Bibb school system allegedly wired $3,768,000 to CompTech Computer Technologies, Inc for virtual desktops without board approval or following the district’s bidding process. About 200 of the 15,000 units purchased are in use. The rest “remain in their boxes in a warehouse and are of no use to the District,” the document states.
The school board approved Dallemand’s contract in December. A month later, on Jan. 17, 2013, the superintendent informed the board he couldn’t work with them and wanted a buyout. After negotiations, and a 7 to 1 vote, the board agreed to buy out his contract. Board member Lester Miller voted no.
Dallemand’s last day as Bibb superintendent was Feb. 25, 2013. Critics said Dallemand should have been fired, and not given the $350,000 severance, plus pension, and February salary payment. The deal included health insurance premiums for he and his family for another year unless he found new employment.
Their filing claims the board would not have bought out Dallemand’s contact and paid severance if the district knew about the Pinnacle/CSG and CompTech purchases. The filing calls that “fraud” on Dallemand’s part.
The school board said “Dr. Dallemand acted with the specific intent to cause harm to the Board of Education and the District.”
He should have known better than to stir the pot. He made out like a bandit but got too greedy and wanted $10 million more. Had he stayed quiet and just faded into memory he wouldn’t have opened this can of worms that will likely see him wearing prison orange before it’s over. I know of several local accomplices that need to join him as well. How appropriate that Spring is almost here because Macon desperately needs some heavy duty Spring cleaning and this is a great place to start.
Bet old Papa Doc Dallemand wasn’t expecting this response. 😆
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I will admit that I am a citizen of Warner Robins, Georgia. I grew up in Macon, Georgia and I also went to school there. I personally wrote letters to the places when Dr. D. submitted to some places, which were made public. Nowhere in his contract does it show that a concerned Georgia Citizen can’t tell the truth about what he did in Bibb County Schools. I personally don’t want to see any other school district Anywhere to have to be ripped off by him. If Bibb County would have made his dealings in other school districts open to the public, and put his job to a vote, he would have Never been in the job in the first place. I think the people who were involved in him being hired in the first place should be fired, fined, and go to jail. They also need to be held accountable for Dr. D’s indiscretions while he was supposedly doing his job which they helped him get. You can’t give someone a position, then tell people that you forgot that he was supposed to be voted in, or hired first. That is what started the problem in the first place. Until the Good Ole Boys and Girls Club is Dismantled in Bibb county, nothing will be good about that entire county. I am speaking from Facts which were made public many months ago. These facts were overlooked and swept under the rug for the entire time that he was in his position. These facts also need to come out in the court hearing, and others involved need to be held accountable.