Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 30, 1993 TAG: 9301300103
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR and CHARLYNE MCWILLIAMS STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE SCHOOLS FINALIST QUITS
Willis B. McLeod, associate superintendent for Richmond schools, withdrew Friday from consideration for the Roanoke school superintendent's post.McLeod, one of three finalists for the position, said in a formal statement to Roanoke School Board Chairman Finn Pincus on Friday that he was withdrawing for personal reasons.
"After a lot of prayerful thought and personal reasons, I've decided to withdraw my name," McLeod said in a phone interview. "That does include consideration for my family."
McLeod alluded to a situation during his years as superintendent of Northampton County, N.C., school system as contributing to his decision to withdraw. Later, though, he denied to another reporter that it had.
An audit ordered by then-Gov. Jim Martin of Northampton County schools during a period covering part of McLeod's tenure revealed deficiencies in accounting practices and financial controls, the Roanoke Rapids, N.C., Herald reported last year.
The audit covered 1985 to June 1991. McLeod was superintendent in Northampton County from 1981 to 1989.
The audit was released three years after McLeod left Northampton County to become superintendent of Petersburg schools. Its release came at a time when McLeod was one of two finalists for a superintendent's post in St. Louis.
McLeod was never implicated of wrongdoing. School officials say he left the school system in good regard.
Northampton County School Board member Lynmore Gay said the situation was "blown out about 10,000 times what it was supposed to be."
Asked if the situation clouded McLeod's reputation, Gay said, "Not as far as I'm concerned."
McLeod said Friday that he was sorry for any embarrassment he might have caused the Roanoke School Board.
"I thought that situation was dead," he said.
Roanoke School Board members would not elaborate on McLeod's reasons for withdrawing. But a Roanoke Rapids Herald reporter said Friday that one board member had called the newspaper this week with questions about McLeod's tenure in Northampton County.
McLeod said a board consultant called him Friday morning and told him the Roanoke Times & World-News had published a story about the Northampton situation. The newspaper did not run such a story.
Thomas McLernon, who as director of administrative services for the Virginia School Board Association has been assisting the board in its superintendent search, denied Friday that he discussed that with McLeod.
"We didn't talk about these kinds of things," he said. "I called him about the interview because it was coming up next week."
McLeod was scheduled to visit Roanoke next Thursday for a second interview and meetings with the school community.
McLernon said the background check he did on McLeod did not include checks outside the state "because he'd already been hired in Virginia."
"If there was something bothersome, they wouldn't have hired him in Petersburg," McLernon said.
The board will not attempt to replace McLeod with another finalist, Pincus said.
"We have to look forward and say we have two very good candidates," he said. "We've got a difficult decision with two."
Finalist Herbert R. Cottrill, an assistant superintendent for Charlottesville schools, visited Roanoke Thursday. E. Wayne Harris, an area superintendent for the Fairfax County school system, will be in Roanoke on Monday.