ROANOKE COUNTY (WSLS 10) - Just as the Roanoke County School Board was preparing to announce the selection of a new board member, the former representative for the Catawba District, Tom McCracken, revealed he's hired an attorney and wants his seat back.
McCracken resigned last month, but now says that decision was made based on a threat and coercion by the other members.
School Board Chair Mike Wray says the first step is speaking with the county's attorneys.
Now, instead of celebrating the selection of Don Butzer, who ran for the seat last year against McCracken, the Board has to be preparing for a potential lawsuit.
After Tom McCracken resigned in June, Wray says members spent a month narrowing their selection down to five candidates, and he feels confident they made a good choice in Butzer.
"He was very knowledgeable. He had stayed up on the issues. He talked to us about the salary, compensation study. He actually was still, he was on the focus group for, the Education Focus Group with Roanoke County," said Wray.
But before the Board could even announce it's selection, McCracken said not so fast.
In a letter his attorney Melvin Williams sent to Wray on Monday, McCracken accused the Board of forcing him out of office.
Here is the letter former Roanoke County School Board member Tom McCracken sent to the board through his attorney: pic.twitter.com/o32U7YpMOf
— Rob Manch (@RobManch) July 13, 2016
"The Board members were motivated by personal spite and ill will over Mr. McCracken's outspokenness instead of any legitimate concerns for objectivity and the appearance of a conflict of interest," the letter reads.
McCracken is claiming that before he resigned, the Board told him they wouldn't vote for his wife to receive a promotion to become the Assistant Principal at Northside High School if he remained on the Board, citing a conflict of interest.
McCracken asked the Board members to hold off on choosing his replacement, but says he never got a response.
Meanwhile, Wray says after dealing with a financial scandal with Northside football coach Burt Torrence, and several bomb threats in county schools this year alone, he can't believe there is another major issue to address.
"I was talking to Mr. Canada last night, and he mentioned that out of all of his years, he has not seen this much come before a board in a 6, 7 month period of time, which is sort of unprecedented. We're making decisions that are making history, that will, other boards may face in the future," said Wray.
As for Butzer?
"I will just do what I'm told, sit there as long as they tell me to sit there, and I wish Pastor McCracken the best," said Butzer.
Wray says he can't comment on any legal matters, but says the board is working on a response.
In his letter, McCracken's attorney Melvin Williams states there is no legal rule that states board members can't vote on family members who work in the school system.
McCracken says he's waiting for a response from the board before making any public comments aside from his letter.
Meanwhile, Butzer says regardless if he remains as the Catawba representative, or if McCracken does eventually return, he plans to run for the position again this Fall.