Cleveland school board member apologizes for surveillance of district employees

Cleveland school board Vice Chairwoman Louise Dempsey apologized Friday to the community, saying she's sorry that the district hired private investigators to keep tabs on employees.

"What happened was unconscionable. The board does not condone this practice at all," Dempsey said. "We will never condone this behavior."

She said she was stunned to learn from a recent state audit that former Chief Operating Officer Daniel Burns had approved paying private investigators tens of thousands of dollars to keep several employees, including high-ranking administrators, under surveillance. Records indicate that the investigators were determining what the district employees did during the work day.

Dempsey's remarks came during a board retreat at the Quail Hollow Resort in Concord Township. The board is meeting there through today to discuss a new school transformation plan and other issues.

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