School exec got $179K after 'no cause' termination

The superintendent of Edmonton's public schools was "terminated without cause" and given a $179,000 severance package, board chair Bev Esslinger said Tuesday.

Lyall Thomson was just over four months into his three-year contract when he was terminated last week by the trustees. On Tuesday, Esslinger held a news conference about his departure, but she had few details to share.

"I cannot speak to any of the discussions regarding it," she said.

"The contract was terminated without cause and after significant deliberation by the board. We will not release the details of the discussions that led to the board's decision to terminate the superintendent's contract without cause."

A news release Tuesday from the board explains that Thomson's contract contained a clause that allowed the board to fire him without a cause as long as he was paid for a year's work, or $179,000.

"A 'no cause' provision is a typical feature in executive management contracts, which allows both the employer and the employee the opportunity to end the employment relationship without any allegations of fault or, in fact, any reason being alleged on either side," reads the release.

Trustees voted seven to two in favour of ending his contract.

The board has appointed Bob Holt, a retired executive director with the school district, as acting superintendent until someone is hired to replace Thomson. Esslinger wouldn't say how long it will take to find a new superintendent.

Last time, the board paid $77,000 for the services of the headhunting agency that conducted the search for a superintendent.

Thomson, the first superintendent to be hired from outside the district in 30 years, signed a three-year contract that began Sept. 1. Before moving to the Edmonton system, Thomson was superintendent of the Rocky View School Division near Calgary.

Edmonton Public Schools has 199 schools serving more than 80,000 students.