Heatley withdraws from Berkeley candidacy

By Jim Massara (160)
jmassara@news-daily.com

As of Wednesday, September 19, 2012
© Copyright 2013 Clayton News Daily

JONESBORO — Outgoing Clayton County Schools Superintendent Edmond Heatley has withdrawn his candidacy for the same job in Berkeley, Calif.

Heatley bowed out in an e-mail to Berkeley school board president John Selawsky sent either late Monday or early Tuesday, said Berkeley board spokesman Mark Coplan.

“It was not expected by the community,” Coplan said by phone Tuesday. “I’m not sure how it was expected by the board.”

In his e-mail, Heatley wrote “I want to thank you personally for all of your time and support. I have attached my letter of withdrawal from candidacy for the position of Superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School District. I wish you, the Board and Community of Berkeley nothing but success in the future.”

Heatley, who resigned from his Clayton County position late last month, was the final remaining candidate for the Berkeley job and was regarded to have been as good as hired.

But when a Berkeley news website uncovered a memo by Heatley while he was superintendent in Chino Valley, Calif., that appeared to support Proposition 8, a ballot measure that would have banned gay marriage, public outcry in liberal-leaning Berkeley forced school-board members to reconsider.

Although passed narrowly by California voters in 2008, Proposition 8 has since been mired in legal challenges. The county where Berkeley is located voted against it.

Michael Calta, president of Chino’s school board when the memo was written, has since maintained that Heatley never took a position on Proposition 8 and that he asked only for direction on the matter from the board. A careful reading of the memo confirms that.

Still, Heatley’s critics in Berkeley would have preferred that he had stood against Proposition 8 while in Chino instead of merely stepping out of its way.

“I think [withdrawing his candidacy] was probably the right move for him,” said Frances Dinkelspiel of berkeleyside.com, which broke the story about Heatley’s memo. “I think there were many people in the community who were concerned that he wasn’t sympathetic to gay families. I think what’s really important is that Heatley did not stand up in opposition to Proposition 8. Even silence on the matter, people would interpret that as complicity.”

More like this story

Chino board member defends Heatley ( September 14, 2012 )
Surprise — gay marriage trips up Heatley ( September 24, 2012 )
Heatley’s California job not a sure thing ( September 13, 2012 )
Heatley headed to Berkeley ( August 31, 2012 )
Top 10 most popular stories for September 14-September 20 ( September 21, 2012 )

OscarKnight 8 months, 1 week ago

....All Dressed Up, With No Place To Go ?

OscarKnight 8 months, 1 week ago

....Clayton County playing a pivotal role :

Consider Heatley's role in our Clayton County Education System, "Gone With The Wind" :

Frankly My Dear, I Don't Give a Damn - Gone with the Wind (6/6) Movie CLIP (1939) HD by movieclips

Berkeleyparent 8 months, 1 week ago

We dodged a bullet in Berkeley! It wasn't just the prop 8 stuff. It was everything else too.

james171 8 months, 1 week ago

Yes, Berkely, you did dodge a bullet!! I wish Clayton County had been so lucky!! I pity the school system who hires Heatley. He is all talk!!! He says what he thinks people want to hear.....blah, blah, blah!

james171 8 months, 1 week ago

Heatley withdrew his name from consideration because of the "intense investigation" that was going to be conducted. What was he afraid of their finding out about him? There is no telling the skeletons this man has in his closet! I just hope Pam Adamson, who has already proven that she has no sense when it comes to Heatley, will not be able to reinstate him as superintendent of the school system. He resigned. His resignation was accepted. Therefore, he needs to go! Take Pam and Douglas Hendrix with you, please!!!!

MD 8 months, 1 week ago

Berkeleyparent Nice try local resident! LOL! Trotter?

Berkeleyparent 8 months, 1 week ago

No, I swear I am a Berkeley parent (my kids go to Thousand Oaks Elementary school in Berkeley). I was looking into Heatley's record and came across all of these articles in the Clayton News Daily and was horrified by what I saw. I'm glad he is not now going to be superintendent in either school system. I don't know what our school board was thinking. They came this close to hiring him until parents (like me) started to freak out about his record.

OscarKnight 8 months, 1 week ago

Quote : "Berkeleyparent Nice try local resident! LOL! Trotter?"

......Maybe so or maybe not......The Clayton News Daily's website was posted on this Berkeley News site :

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2012/08/31/berkeley-school-district-homes-in-on-superintendent-candidate/

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