We often refer to South Carolina’s eighty-plus school districts as “fiefdoms,” and in Dillon County, S.C. the term applies quite literally.
Dillon – as this story on The Nerve explains – is home to an “appointed” school board. Who appoints the board? The county’s legislation – which is run by S.C. Rep. Jackie Hayes (D-Dillon).
Such an arrangement is already corrupt as hell … but in Hayes’ case it gets much worse.
Hayes isn’t just the local state lawmaker. He’s also Dillon High School’s head football coach and its athletics director – drawing a taxpayer funded annual salary of $96,129 (not counting benefits). Not only that, Hayes’ wife also draws a $96,129 annual salary from the district as the director of “exceptional needs” program.
And yes … they’ve got the ultimate job security (the ability to fire their bosses).
According to The Nerve, in November 2010 Dillon County voters overwhelmingly rejected this corrupt arrangement – yet three years later it still remains in place.
Why? Because this is South Carolina – where those in power get to do as they please. Laughing all the way to the bank, of course … with your money.
Speaking of your money … Dillon District Four currently has $5 million of it sitting in the bank, part of our government-run school system’s $1 billion addiction to extreme hoarding.
21 comments
I don’t get it. Where’s the corruption.
The fact that the legislative delegation appoints the school board has nothing to do with the fact that a legislator’s regular job is as a coach and school athletic director. Schools hire and fire their coaches and athletic directors, not school boards.
Further, It is improbable that the salary of the legislator-coach-director would be to the dollar the same as his wife.
There’s no corruption that I could see. Just seems more like a legitimate gripe that these people are living high off the hog in a school district where they have a lot of influence.
I don’t get picking on Dillon, but it’s a good start.
Actually, this is a violation of the state’s dual office holding laws. If someone had reported him to the SC Ethics Commission before he was actually appointed/ elected to the school board or the legislature, he would have been instructed that he needed to resign from his job if elected or appointed to either job.
If he gets elected without anyone doing so, he is home free, since the House and Senate ethics committees don’t give a rip about the LAW.
He is not on the school board. He holds one office.
The legislative delegation appoints the school board; the school board appoints the district superintendent; the superintendent appoints principals; principals hire coaches and athletic directors. Although it would be better if the school board were elected; he is by no means his own boss.
If he’s not on the school board, that means he holds only 2 public offices: school employee and legislator. So, he’s dual office holding and not triple office holding.
‘No person is eligible to a seat in the General Assembly while he holds any office or position of profit or trust under this State, the United States of America, or any of them, or under any other power, except officers in the militia, members of lawfully and regularly organized fire departments, constables, and notaries public. If any member accepts or exercises any of the disqualifying offices or positions he shall vacate his seat.”
96 grand is completely out of line for a district of this size. the athletic director at a school the size of dillon high should make maybe 60k. and the director level salary would be about the same. this is pretty shameless even by SC standards.
Because his and his wife’s salaries are identical, I doubt that either figure is accurate. He may well make 60k or less.
A Mr. and Mrs Cockroach as a package deal. What a bonus for taxpayers in Dillon County.
All male taxpayers get fucked by Mrs. Cockroach and all female taxpayers get fucked by Mr. Cockroach. At the salaries they are pulling down I’m sure if there are any alternative lifestyle taxpayers in Dillon County Mr. and Mrs. Cockroach would accommodate their exceptional needs
Think it is a nice touch that both Cockroaches’ salary is the same. At least they are not discriminating cockroaches
Fuck the Cockroaches – Power Back to the Taxpayers
Fucking scumbag
Yes, but is he winning? That’s what matters!
But, how much is their daughter getting paid to be a cheerleader?
I don’t know, but it looks like they all use the same shade of hair dye.
She is a beauty …….
Reminds me of the time a woman noticed all the goats on the farm. She asked if she could tell me how many I had if she could pick one out and keep it. I said, “Sure ma’am.” She said “You have 167!.” “That’s right!” I exclaimed! She then ran out into the field and came back and I said, “If I can guess your natural haircolor, can I have my dog back?”
In other parts of the corridor of shame, they elect the school board. That has not stopped illegitimate births, fathers who abandon their children, and Dumb@$$#$ who vote for Jim Clyburn over and over…
Idiots, like FITS see something a little different, and blame that as the problem. The problem you ignorant F*#k is democrats in power…
The Nerve does not have the b@!!$ to call it like it is…neither does the cliche=-laden and imbecile FITS..
As long as we have FITS=-type “media” as dumb as the F*#kin left wing thieves, don’t expect change…
Who made the mistake of waking you up?
Idiots and liberals, like FITS, make dumb@$$#$ like you, feel not as F*#kin Stupid, I bet.
?.?.?.?.?….
I swear he only shows up after he stops taking those little pills. I’ll put the tea on and mix in a little. Sorry, boys.
I reckon the Dillon voters like it that way.
Dem people in Dillon ain’t nothing but amatuers. For real corruption, com’on down here to Jasper County. We’ll show you CORRUPTION!!!!! Keep ’em dumb and keep renting dey votes out to Harpo and Toal every election day. Dat’s what we say!