Superintendent: Suspended principal mishandled money, changed records

Jun. 5—MOULTON — A Lawrence County Schools principal on administrative leave with pay until his resignation goes into effect June 30 was accused in written notices of mishandling public money and emailing information that "was not true."

Ron E. Rikard Jr., the principal at East Lawrence High School on leave since Feb. 2, also was accused of falsifying the salary of a teacher/coach to help that person secure a loan from a local credit union. The written notices were included in Rikard's personnel file that The Daily reviewed recently under the state's open records law.

The Lawrence County school board approved Rikard's resignation on March 7, and is paying him his $102,898 annual salary from Feb. 2 through June 30. On May 2, the board hired Gaylon Parker as the new principal at East Lawrence High. Parker is receiving the same salary, school Superintendent Jon Bret Smith said.

Rikard did not return multiple calls to his cellphone requesting comment.

A Feb. 2 written reprimand from Smith contained the initial allegation against Rikard. It accused him of failing to follow directions on handling receipts from a Sept. 13 middle school football game between East Lawrence and R.A. Hubbard and said he changed his explanation for what happened to the receipts. Estimates of the receipts' value ranged from $85 to $300, according to the reprimand.

Rikard had been directed to collect admission to the game through a digital system or credit card machine, the reprimand said, but neither was used. Rikard reported to Suzy Berryman, the school system's CFO, on Sept. 14 that he had issues with the GoFan app, an online program the school system uses to sell tickets to sporting events, and let fans in free, Smith wrote in the reprimand.

Smith wrote that he then spoke with Rikard and the principal told him he hadn't told Berryman "the truth" and had collected $200 to $300 in cash for game admission. The money should have been deposited in the school account, the reprimand said, but Rikard said he used the money for a pregame meal. However, records indicated the meal for the East Lawrence Middle team was purchased by the booster club, Smith wrote.

Later in the school year, the reprimand said, Rikard changed his story and said he collected $85 in ticket sales that was placed in a school safe for about a month before being "used for food for the football team."

A March 9 notice from Smith detailed an incident involving an inappropriate sign at a basketball game between East Lawrence High and R.A. Hubbard at the Lawrence County tournament in Hatton. Rikard emailed Smith on Jan. 21 that "a former student and another student who was enrolled at our alternative school" held up a sign that read "Get Comfy Playing Here." The sign was in reference to the then-proposed closure of R.A. Hubbard that would mean its athletes would play at Hatton High or East Lawrence High next school year.

"It was determined this story was not true. Mr. Rikard's son, and his son's friend made and held up the sign at the game," Smith wrote in the March 9 notice. "This event caused a great deal of negative interaction between the two schools, and it possibly alienated students from R.A.H."

On April 25, federal judge R. David Proctor ruled in favor of the school board's decision to close R.A. Hubbard and bus its students to Hatton and East Lawrence campuses beginning in the fall.

The March 9 notice also said Smith and three supervisors met with Rikard on Feb. 2 to discuss the alleged events. "At that time, I had a printout showing his son's attendance had been changed. I also asked for a recap of the football admission story" and "other money issues at that meeting."

During the meeting, Rikard was put on administrative leave.

Smith met with Rikard and his AEA Uniserv director on Feb. 8, and told Rikard a full investigation would take place, the March notice said. "His response was that he did not want an investigation." Smith wrote that Rikard resigned that day as principal of East Lawrence High, effective June 30.

Smith also wrote that he received a notice from Listerhill Credit Union that Rikard had falsified payroll information during the spring of 2020 to help a teacher/football coach obtain a loan. The employee's salary was $53,964. Rikard indicated the teacher/coach's salary was $80,000, according to the March notice.

That notice also said Smith met in early February with multiple East Lawrence High employees who "made several allegations" against Rikard. The notice included no details on most of those allegation but said "Rikard was directly or indirectly implicated in all of these allegations."

Smith said no legal charges have been filed against Rikard.

"It's a personnel matter, and we can't really discuss it. We'll continue to work through this matter and take appropriate action," Smith said.

Rikard's personnel file also contained a letter from the state Department of Education that said it was reviewing action "up to and including the revocation and non-renewal of" his leadership and educator certification in connection with allegations contained in the notices from Smith.

— mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.