KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — During public comment on April 17, Betty Jarvis told the Kanawha County Board of Education she believed the superintendent modified the communications-director job description without board knowledge or approval and said she had documentation supporting the claim.

Jarvis said she had submitted materials and legal references and that several lawyers agreed with her interpretation. Board members responded that the board had referred the matter to the Ethics Commission, which returned a finding of no probable cause. Board members said they had reviewed the ethics result and had not found wrongdoing based on the commission’s determination.

The board did not take any enforcement action during the meeting. Jarvis said she would continue to pursue the matter and offered the board copies of her documentation.

Why it matters

Allegations about hiring and job-description changes can trigger internal reviews, external ethics inquiries and potential policy changes. In this case the Ethics Commission reviewed the claim and reported no probable cause, according to the board’s public remarks.

What's next

No further action was taken at the April 17 meeting. The commenter said she would persist in raising the concern; board members said they would accept any documentation and reiterated the Ethics Commission’s finding.