READ IT: Deon Jackson, attorneys file lawsuit against Berkeley County School Board members, interim superintendent

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Attorneys representing former Berkeley County School District Superintendent Deon Jackson officially filed a lawsuit Tuesday morning against six members of the school board and interim superintendent Dr. Anthony Dixon.

Jackson’s attorney, Donald Gist, told News 2 on Monday that he believed Jackson was fired as superintendent illegally and that the members who voted in favor of his firing violated several laws and school board policy when they made the abrupt decision during the first meeting of the newly elected board.

The lawsuit reveals a slew of charges against the school board including civil conspiracy, breach of contract, interference with a contractual relationship, invasion of privacy, and violation of the Freedom of Information Act.

Board members Michael Ramsey, Joe Baker, Kathy Littleton, Dr. Jimmy Hinson, and Sally Wofford were named along with board chairman Mac McQuillin, Dr. Dixon, and the newly hired district attorney E. Brandon Gaskins. The six members voted in favor of terminating Jackson during their first meeting and Gaskins replaced Dr. Tiffany Richardson, BCSD’s in-house lawyer, who was also fired during that meeting.

The lawsuit claims McQuillin admitted on video to speaking with Gaskins before he was officially hired as the district’s new attorney about plans to terminate Jackson during the November 15 board meeting.

It also said that McQuillin “improperly/illegally posted” a statement on November 23 about Jackson’s firing without the approval of the entire school board, which they said violated the school board’s policy regarding quorum.

“Board member Barrow admits that Defendant McQuillin released the public statement without the knowledge and consent of the full board. To quote Barrow’s revelation “Was there a meeting I was not aware of?” Defendant McQuillin’s public statement is fraught with misleading, unverified, and false statements with the express purpose of publicly disparaging and humiliating Plaintiff and with the express purpose to attempt to cloak the conspired and illegal termination of Deon Jackson, who is the legitimate, certified Superintendent of Berkeley County School District,” the lawsuit reads.

In the civil conspiracy claims, attorneys said Jackson was targeted by “deliberate design” of board chair McQuillin, the six board members, Dr. Dixon, and Gaskins in a conspiracy to make sure he was terminated as superintendent despite contractural rights.

You can read through the lawsuit and each cause of action listed by attorneys be viewing the document below: