Amy Word makes school board decision — and a decision about Evansville
EVANSVILLE — Amy Word, the EVSC school board member who was arrested last year on the Level 6 felony charge of "maintaining a common nuisance – controlled substances," says she will not seek re-election in 2024.
"In fact, I can't wait to get the hell out of here as fast as I can," Word, owner of Lamasco Bar & Grill, told the Courier & Press.
Word laughed. Out of Evansville? the Courier & Press asked.
"That is in jest," she said. "I'm done in all possible ways, so obviously, I have zero concern about when this (criminal case) goes — if it even goes to trial, that it will be a full acquittal. You don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but it's pretty — I say the word, 'egregious.'"
More: Amy Word seeks to sell Lamasco amid expiring liquor license and missed tax payments
Word's desire to "get the hell out" of Evansville may not signal an imminent departure, she said — but it also doesn't mean she's not leaving town at some point.
"It's so far down the road," she said, noting that her youngest child, a daughter, is just 8. "I'm not going anywhere when she's little. At some point when she is big — yes. We're talking a decade away."
Word, who also owns the popular, upscale restaurant Amy's on Franklin, has been on an unpaid leave of absence from the school board since her July 2022 arrest on the felony charge linked to an investigation into alleged drug use and dealing at Lamasco. She has pleaded not guilty and has mounted a spirited public defense against the charge.
School Board President Chris Kiefer asked Word to resign after her arrest last year, but she declined. Word's board-approved leave of absence, which has lasted a year now, will continue throughout the resolution of her case. Word said last year that she didn't want to distract from the school board's work. She elaborated on that Thursday.
"Because, just all of the chaos with everything, I don't want to bring that into the board room until all this is straightened out," she told the Courier & Press. "Obviously, I could go back tomorrow if I wanted to. I just care about EVSC too much. I care about the people that I work with, and want to cause the least amount of chaos I can with all of that.
More: With trial still months away, Amy Word's future on EVSC school board is unclear
"I'm just waiting until this (the criminal case) is finished so I can resume the remainder of my term."
Word could be removed from the school board if she is ultimately convicted of the felony charge.
"She could be removed by a court for two reasons: conviction of a felony or abandonment of office," EVSC attorney Pat Shoulders said in August.
The attorney's assertion is supported by Indiana state law.
Shoulders informed the school board last year that should Word's seat become vacant, the board would have to fill it in 30 days or else state law dictates that a Circuit Court judge would fill it.
"This board can’t remove her," Shoulders told the Courier & Press in August. "All the board has done is said that they wouldn’t accuse her of abandoning her office because she’s not here."
The only state law that specifically addresses leaves of absence for elected officials − and EVSC school board policy − applies when someone is called to active military duty. But the Indiana School Boards Association has said the state's "home rule" statute" gives the school board authority to approve Word's leave.
The Courier & Press reported Thursday that Word seeks to sell Lamasco Bar & Grill for more than $1 million with "liquor license included." But the Alcoholic Beverage Board of Vanderburgh County voted Aug. 8 to recommend denial of Lamasco's permit renewal application.
According to the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC), the local board stated "that it believed the permit premises had become a public nuisance as defined in (Indiana Administrative Code)." A week later, ATC took the local board's recommendation to deny renewal of Lamasco's permit.
Lamasco is now operating under a 90-day permit extension that expires on Oct. 8, according to ATC. Word has requested an administrative appeal of the denial.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Amy Word makes school board decision — and a decision about Evansville
