Galveston ISD Superintendent's resignation accepted, search begins for a new one after his remarks about women
Galveston - Galveston ISD is now in need of a new superintendent after Dr. Jerry Gibson's resignation was accepted during a special board meeting Monday night that didn't end until nearly midnight. This comes after Gibson made what some call offensive, sexist remarks against women.
MORE: Superintendent for Galveston ISD outed after alleged sexist comments
He made comments that people find offensive two weeks ago and the board met with Gibson and his attorney Monday night to negotiate a resignation agreement that includes $70,000 in severance pay.
"His resignation under the agreement will be effective June 30, 2023," Tony Brown Galveston ISD School Board President announced shortly after the group came out of the closed-door session.
Until June 30th, Gibson will still get paid, he'll hold the title Galveston ISD Retiring Superintendent, and he'll receive a $70,000 severance payment. His resignation comes after board members say he was up for a job in Florida and didn't inform them of his plans to leave and making what many call questionable comments.
Galveston ISD to begin process for new superintendent of schools
The audio was recorded last month at the new Ball High School groundbreaking where Gibson said women are like "worker bees" and "That's what they do men isn't that right they take care of the details for us and do their best to make us look good even when we don't give them much to work with, but we need a man there though to push this through".
"We are just not going to allow those statements to drift out there as something that could be tied to our district because that's not what we're about. I was a little surprised to hear them. I didn't know if maybe I had taken them out of context or something but then we got a steady stream of calls," Brown adds.
"That's pretty rude isn't it. That's not how a superintendent should be acting. He should be a role model," says resident Dennis Mayer.
"Yes that would offend me because I think we, as women, are just as powerful as men, and we can do just as much as men," adds resident Jill Sanchez.
"You know what we all say things we wish we wouldn't have said. I think this is ridiculous, and I think he'd be more careful in the future and isn't that what we're all doing, we're just learning life lessons. Let him be," says resident Rena Bunting.
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Gibson released a statement apologizing and saying as a husband and father of two daughters he's "mortified" at doing anything that suggests he's a chauvinist or doesn't respect women. He says his long record in public service proves otherwise.
Galveston ISD employee Matthew Neighbors will temporarily take over superintendent duties until an interim is named. I'm told the nationwide search for a new superintendent in Galveston is expected to take several months.