MEMPHIS, Tenn.– The Memphis-Shelby County School Board appointed a former U.S. Attorney to oversee the investigation into allegations made against Superintendent Joris Ray.
In a 7 to 2 vote, the school board voted to place Dr. Ray on administrative leave and officially launch an investigation into allegations made against him.
“We decided to place Doctor Ray on paid administrative leave at the guidance of our legal counsel,” said MSCS Board Chair Michelle Mikissick.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the board also appointed former U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton to oversee the investigation into allegations of impropriety, abuse of power, and possible policy violations.
“He has access to all that he needs to have access to within the district, and that’s what we’re gonna be focusing on and not so much time. He knows time is of the essence,” Mikissick said.
Stanton comes highly recommended by the board after spending seven years as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, along with being a partner at Butler Snow law firm where he specializes in conducting internal investigations.
Back in 2019, Stanton spoke with WREG about heading up a team to monitor the Memphis Police Department after they were found to have been spying on protesters.
“The cornerstone of the work we’re doing is transparency and accountability,” Stanton said at the time.
The school board has not said how much this investigation would cost but did say the money had already been budgeted for issues like this.
We did reach out to Stanton for comment about the review into Dr. Ray but have not heard back. The district says the review could take several weeks.
