Metro Nashville Public Schools’ Director of School Security Jimmy Wheeler is on administrative leave, according to two news stations, and no one cares to say why.
School system officials sent Wheeler a letter last week informing him he may not return to his workplace. He may not contact employees. He also may not attend work-related events while on leave, according to Nashville NBC affiliate WSMV.
WSMV is thus far unable to find out why, exactly, this happened.
Nashville’s CBS affiliate News Channel 5 doesn’t know the answer either, other than to cite “inappropriate conduct.”
Nashville Metro School System spokeswoman Dawn Rutledge did not return The Tennessee Star’s repeated requests for comment on the matter Monday.
The school board’s policies, meanwhile, do not seem to address under what circumstances a school district employee gets put on administrative leave.
According to News Channel 5, school system officials made Wheeler their director of security in 2013. Before that, he was an officer with the Metro Nashville Police Department for 11 years.
According to a 2013 school system newsletter, Wheeler brought more than 25 years of law enforcement experience to the job. He also had 14 years of supervisory experience before coming to the school system.
“Wheeler is responsible for developing a new school system safety and security plan and serves as adviser to the director of schools and other school personnel on school safety,” according to the newsletter, Children First.
“Wheeler worked in several divisions including the patrol, warrant, booking and crime suppression units. In 1998, Wheeler was promoted to school resource sergeant and supervised school resource officers in middle and high schools. He became a lieutenant in 2011 for the patrol division. He oversaw daily functions of patrol and flex detail, reviewed crime data statistics daily and lead incident commands.”
Wheeler, the newsletter went on, graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration and a master’s degree from Cumberland University in public service management.
Wheeler has several certifications including certified police officer, school resource officer, and instructor in Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT).
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
