On April 3, 2024, we received the following reply from the JCPS assistant general counsel in Human Resources regarding our request for the status of Chris Perkins, following the colossal bus fiasco at the start of the school year. Below is the email exchange, as well as the updated documents showing his new assignment. These documents confirm he is retaining his nearly $200,000 a year salary (and the perks and pension that go along with it), despite the reduction in duties and responsibilities, and despite the failure to meet the expectations, needs and confidence of the public who pays his salary.
A previous story about the rise and fall of Chris Perkins, along with his entire personnel file, was published last year, after several members of our group asked us to look into his employment history once he became the “fall guy with the sweet deal.”
We also requested records of any grievances or investigations on Chris, but they were “accidentally” overlooked by the district’s open records attorney until a follow-up request was made after we realized something was missing a month later. That email exchange is below. In addition to the information revealed in the documents, the behavior by the district attorneys represents a pattern of omission of records involving high-ranking officials, which we have documented on several other occasions.
The investigation in question involved an employee who told us he was racially discriminated against and physically assaulted by Mr. Perkins. Here is that report.
The investigation indicated that Mr. Perkins had recorded that conversation and submitted it as evidence in his defense, so I requested a copy. No other recordings, including security camera footage, reportedly existed, according to JCPS.
Upon listening to the recording, this reporter believes Perkins is not as innocent as the internal investigators concluded. Mr. Morris also suggests the recording could have been altered, claiming their entire interaction is not all there. Mr. Perkins’ assertiveness in obtaining the recording and escalating the situation with Mr. Morris suggests this encounter was calculated to goad him into responding so he could capture evidence of “insubordination,” when in fact, any pushback this reporter observed was due to Mr. Perkins’ denial of racial discrimination, bullying and harassment by leadership and an air of insistence that they are “not racist.” This is a common pattern and practice observed in JCPS, where an employee who raises concern about discrimination against them finds themselves targeted for removal.
Mr. Morris no longer works for JCPS.