On December 17, I predicted that Portland Public Schools and its director of human resources (what we used to call "people"), Steve Goldschmidt, would go their separate ways by the end of 2005. Superintendent Phillips is nearly 11 months ahead of me; yesterday she terminated Mr. Goldschmidt and two of his aides.
She also said that the district would not pay Mr. Goldschmidt the severance package required by his contract, a package worth about $357,000, but would leave it to him to sue for it. Under the reported terms of his contract, he is entitled to the severance package if he is dismissed without cause, "cause" meaning moral turpitude or dereliction of duty. I've not seen anything in print, and Superintendent Phillips did not say or hint, that he had committed either one.
The Superintendent is making a mistake. Yes, it's a lavish severance provision; yes, the district didn't have to put that into his contract; and yes, it's a waste of money. But it is in fact a contract, no doubt drafted by the district's lawyers on whom she will now have to call to defend Mr. Goldschmidt's likely lawsuit to enforce it.
It's not Superintendent Phillips' contract. She can blame the expense on Ben Canada, who negotiated it, but unless she's going to tag Mr. Goldschmidt with moral turpitude or dereliction of duty, she should have the district pay up. The government should honor its contracts.