Riverbend Swim Team Investigation Status Unclear
Division says it will not release any resulting report. Legal fees now approaching a half-million dollars for the calendar year.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Email Adele
Spotsylvania County Public Schools will not release the resulting report from the investigation into “certain issues surrounding the Riverbend High School swim team,” stating that it is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Advance requested a copy of the report on May 6 and received a response last week.
“Please be informed that the records that you have requested are exempt from mandatory disclosure under FOIA pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-3705.1 (2): Attorney –client privilege,” wrote Dennis Martin, the director of organizational compliance, in an August 14 email.
The division hired Yeng Collins Law, PLC, in March to conduct the investigation, according to spokeswoman Rene Daniels. Attorney Deborah Yeng Collins reached out to several varsity swim team parents and former coaches in May to discuss events that led up to a disastrous meeting between team parents and former Riverbend principal Xavier Downs in December of 2023.
But the current status of the investigation is not clear. The Advance reached out to Daniels early this month to ask whether it was still ongoing or had been completed or suspended.
“The Division does not have a statement to share regarding this matter,” Daniels said.
According to the weekly bill lists that are posted on the division’s Open Checkbook, Yeng Collins received payments of $10,200 on May 24 and $28,441 on June 21, both for work on the “division investigation.”
The school division made a third payment of $25,531 to Yeng Collins on August 9, but this time the payment is for “legal services” and not “division investigation,” according to the bill list.
Payments to law firms besides Sands Anderson, which provides general legal advice to the School Board and represents the division in special education matters, have continued throughout the summer and now approach $500,000 for the calendar year.
In addition to the $64,000 paid to Yeng Collins, since May 1 there have been payments of $126,000 to McGuire Woods for “legal services” under the function “human resources;” almost $60,000 to Malik Drake for “legal services” under the function “executive admin services;” and almost $50,000 to Williams, Mullin, Clark, & Dobbins for “legal services - general” under the function “executive admin services.”
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I support Spotsylvania County Schools and the efforts by the School Board to correct the wrongs and mess. As a supporter and taxpayer, I would like to know what's going on.
Doesn't the truth set us free??
As taxpayers I feel that we should be provided the outcome of this report. That is a lot of money and to sweep it under the carpet as if it never happened is unacceptable.