Sarasota School Board cancels Friday special meeting on Superintendent Brennan Asplen's departure

Sarasota County School Board Chairwoman Bridget Ziegler canceled a special meeting that had been scheduled last week for Dec. 2 as part of a move to push for Superintendent Brennan Asplen's departure.

The cancellation came three days after a Nov. 29 public meeting erupted in anger at the board's decision to remove Asplen.

According to a school district news release, Ziegler canceled Friday's scheduled meeting due to a lack of business items requested from other board members. The board had decided on Tuesday to pursue negotiations with Asplen for his resignation rather than the board terminating his contract. The meeting for Friday was left on the calendar at the time in case it was needed.

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"Matters were addressed during the School Board Special Meeting earlier this week and negotiations are ongoing per the School Board’s action," a statement from the district said.

No date has been set for Asplen's resignation.

Supporters of Asplen lashed out against the school board's abrupt decision to terminate his contract, accusing the board's new conservative majority of choosing politics over rationale in a nearly five-hour special meeting.

The board voted 4-1 to authorize negotiations for Asplen's resignation with severance.  Negotiations between the School Board's counsel and the superintendent's attorney began last week when the board indicated it would forward with Asplen's termination, but were halted prior to the Nov. 29meeting.

Stefania Lugli is the general assignment reporter for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at slugli@heraldtribune.com or dm her on Twitter at @steflugli.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota School Board cancels special meeting on superintendent firing