Bowden agrees to part ways with school district

An investigation into Superintendent Todd Bowden's handling of a Sarasota County Schools employee’s sexual misconduct claim is poised to conclude with Bowden leaving the district at the end of the year.

Sarasota County Schools announced today Bowden had accepted a “mutual separation agreement” the school board presented to him. The agreement is set to be finalized at a Nov. 19 meeting. If approved, Bowden will depart his role effective Dec. 31, the release said.

On Nov. 5, the school board cast a 4-1 vote to give Bowden 30 days’ notice of possible forthcoming sanctions related to his handling of a sexual harassment complaint from administrative assistant Cheraina Bonner regarding her boss, former Chief Operations Officer Jeff Maultsby. The notice was a necessary step before taking disciplinary action against Bowden, which could include termination or suspension.

The mutual separation agreement would finalize Bowden’s departure before that 30-day window concludes. If approved, the agreement would put Bowden on paid administrative leave through Dec. 31, and an acting superintendent would be appointed in his place.

The agreement calls for Bowden to receive “a lump sum equivalent to Bowden’s salary and benefits for 20 weeks” at his current pay rate. The agreement also would require the board to reimburse Bowden $65,523.11 in attorneys’ fees related to the Bonner investigation and an earlier investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Bowden.

Bowden’s current contract went into effect Feb. 20 and is set to run through June 2023.