When Webb City R-7 officials vetted assistant superintendent for instruction Allison Pope, they apparently didn't talk to Lucas Williams.
Williams, who was a bookkeeper in the Hurley School District where Pope served as superintendent until July 1 when she took the Webb City position that had once been filled by new Superintendent Brenten Byrd. takes issue with Pope's claim that racist, anti-Muslim and homophobic tweets on Pope's Twitter (X) feed were the act of a hacker and says he was instructed to scrub her Facebook page of comments involving the QAnon theory that the elites eat babies for their adrenochrome.
Williams sent the following e-mail to the Turner Report and also posted a couple of comments detailing the same allegations on previous posts about Pope.
As a former employee serving under Dr. Allison Murphy-Pope, I have a wealth of information regarding her performance while at the Hurley R-1 School District.While she did bring a lot of revenue to the district, Murphy-Pope has also made falsified claims, has frequently conducted herself in an unprofessional manner, and has not followed the law, especially regarding employee eligibility for FMLA. As she starts her employment in Webb City, I feel that her new community (and her old one) should know the truth.
I was an employee at the Hurley R-1 School District, directly serving under Murphy-Pope as her Bookkeeper and Assistant. Murphy-Pope created a hostile work environment from the very beginning of my employment in 2018.
I was an employee at the Hurley R-1 School District, directly serving under Murphy-Pope as her Bookkeeper and Assistant. Murphy-Pope created a hostile work environment from the very beginning of my employment in 2018.
For example, Murphy-Pope once became so enraged that she literally slapped files out of my hands, even though the problem upsetting her was due to her own discrepancies. I let it slide, but took a week off, returning after she realized her wrongdoing and apologized.
In addition to her violent outbursts, Murphy-Pope also frequently talked about political conspiracy theories while in the office as the Superintendent, even when asked to stop. Finally, the work environment in the office has grown increasingly hostile since Murphy-Pope resigned.
I have documented the following incidents that occurred while I was Dr. Murphy-Pope’s direct employee:
Dr. Murphy-Pope falsely claimed that her Facebook account was hacked, after someone had seen her conspiracy theories posted on her “wall." Once she realized how detrimental this could be for her public image, Murphy-Pope had me look through her Facebook account for anything she had posted pertaining to “adrenochrome” or “anything offensive."
I have documented the following incidents that occurred while I was Dr. Murphy-Pope’s direct employee:
Dr. Murphy-Pope falsely claimed that her Facebook account was hacked, after someone had seen her conspiracy theories posted on her “wall." Once she realized how detrimental this could be for her public image, Murphy-Pope had me look through her Facebook account for anything she had posted pertaining to “adrenochrome” or “anything offensive."
Prior to this incident, Murphy-Pope and the Payroll clerk in our office frequently spoke about these theories, including the idea that “elites eat babies for their adrenochrome." I asked them to stop but they insisted it was true; months later, Murphy-Pope ordered me to “scrub” her Facebook of this content and told everyone she was hacked to avoid consequences.
Dr. Murphy-Pope became angry at employees who were using FMLA (Federal Medical Leave Act) leave for their pregnancies during this school year (one employee is the daughter of the High School Principal).
Dr. Murphy-Pope became angry at employees who were using FMLA (Federal Medical Leave Act) leave for their pregnancies during this school year (one employee is the daughter of the High School Principal).
As a result of her anger, Murphy-Pope held a meeting with me, the payroll clerk and the Administrators to go over FMLA rules and processes. I prepared for the meeting and printed off the Department of Labor Hour and Wages Employer Manual for FMLA. I also studied the manual to learn the process before the meeting, and to be knowledgeable for future benefits for Hurley employees. During the meeting, it was obvious that Murphy-Pope was ignoring the FMLA regulations and was making up her own rules.
Due to the amount of stress in the workplace, I took vacation days from April 22nd to April 24th, 2024. During this time, Murphy-Pope had her tonsils and adenoids removed. I returned to work on April 25th. Pope had been transported to work that day by her husband, due to her recent surgery and painful condition.
Due to the amount of stress in the workplace, I took vacation days from April 22nd to April 24th, 2024. During this time, Murphy-Pope had her tonsils and adenoids removed. I returned to work on April 25th. Pope had been transported to work that day by her husband, due to her recent surgery and painful condition.
On this date, April 25th, we got into an argument because I refused to go over any important information concerning our normal job processes that day. I had observed that she was on painkillers (due to her surgery) and I did not believe this was a good time to discuss business. She later went home early due to her pain. I stayed and worked on the things she requested until 7 PM that day and laid the details out for the regular meeting I expected to have the next day.
On April 26th, when I arrived at work, Murphy-Pope was in the office, and had transported herself. I could tell that she was angry and still feeling the effects from her surgery. I went to my desk to start my normal day and go through my emails.
On April 26th, when I arrived at work, Murphy-Pope was in the office, and had transported herself. I could tell that she was angry and still feeling the effects from her surgery. I went to my desk to start my normal day and go through my emails.
A few minutes went by and then Murphy-Pope yelled across the room, “Are we going to go over this stuff today or are you just going to piddle around over there?” I stated that I would rather wait until next week, when she was feeling better. I also stated that I had laid out all the answers to her questions on our conference table the night before.
Murphy-Pope insisted that we meet right away. When I went to sit down with her and explain the information, I could see that she was already angry. As we started to go over things, she got more upset, slammed her hands on the table, and yelled, through gritted teeth, “THIS IS YOUR JOB, LUCAS!” As she screamed, spit flew from her mouth and landed on my face. I stood up, grabbed my things, and immediately went home for the day.
For context, I am a disabled veteran. I suffer from PTSD, but normally have a handle on my triggers and how to cope with them. After Murphy-Pope slammed her hands and yelled on April 26th, I started to break out in hives and become angry myself, so I chose to go home around 9 AM.
At home, I contacted my VA Doctor for counseling and to assist me in calming down. He suggested that I take a mental break from work and start seeing him regularly for an unknown period. He also suggested submitting an FMLA leave request.
On Sunday, April 28th, I went to the office and submitted my FMLA leave request to my employer through our Accounting and Payroll system. I also took a few Military items I had on display from my desk area. I then sent a text message to the Board President relaying this information, as she is the next in my Chain of Command.
On the morning of Monday, April 29th, I attempted to access my school email, Google Drive, and the school’s accounting system from home. I found that I no longer had access to these accounts.
On Sunday, April 28th, I went to the office and submitted my FMLA leave request to my employer through our Accounting and Payroll system. I also took a few Military items I had on display from my desk area. I then sent a text message to the Board President relaying this information, as she is the next in my Chain of Command.
On the morning of Monday, April 29th, I attempted to access my school email, Google Drive, and the school’s accounting system from home. I found that I no longer had access to these accounts.
Later that day, Murphy-Pope sent the Hurley Student Resource Officer and Elementary Principal to my home to retrieve my keys to the school. I immediately contacted the Hurley R-1 School Board President and explained the situation.
I decided to end my FMLA leave and return to work after July 2nd and informed the Board President. The following email is what I received as a response:
Dear Mr. Williams:
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to inform you about the protocols for your return to work and details regarding payroll.
According to the FMLA paperwork you submitted, you will be returning to work on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Please plan to arrive at 8:00 AM and meet with an administrator in the conference room in the lobby. At that time, you will be issued keys and a key fob for building access.
The Family Medical Leave Act requires that you be given the same or an equivalent position upon your return. During your absence of over two months, others have fulfilled your accounts payable and receivable duties. Therefore, your new position will be the Administrative Assistant to the Principals in the front office. Your summer hours will be from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday through Thursday.
I decided to end my FMLA leave and return to work after July 2nd and informed the Board President. The following email is what I received as a response:
Dear Mr. Williams:
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to inform you about the protocols for your return to work and details regarding payroll.
According to the FMLA paperwork you submitted, you will be returning to work on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Please plan to arrive at 8:00 AM and meet with an administrator in the conference room in the lobby. At that time, you will be issued keys and a key fob for building access.
The Family Medical Leave Act requires that you be given the same or an equivalent position upon your return. During your absence of over two months, others have fulfilled your accounts payable and receivable duties. Therefore, your new position will be the Administrative Assistant to the Principals in the front office. Your summer hours will be from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday through Thursday.
As we approach the new school year, your hours will change from 7:15 AM to 4:45 PM, Tuesday through Friday, or the subsequent school day if Monday is a holiday. You will also have a designated schedule for attendance on professional development days.You will be expected to use the electronic time card machine to clock in and out and submit the time cards weekly into the business office mailbox for payroll. Absences should be submitted through WebLink, and you must communicate any absences, partial or full, to your direct supervisors, the Principals, and the Superintendent prior to the absence. Your new email address is lkwilliams@hurleytigers.org, and your initial password is Tigers2024. You will need to set up two-factor authentication upon your first login.You will continue to be employed on a 12-month basis.
As of July 1, 2024, per the classified salary schedule, your pay will increase to $20 per hour. All your paid time off and vacation leave were used during your leave. Consequently, your employee-paid benefits for Dental ($42.40) and Vision ($10.41) will need to be paid directly to the school by July 5, 2024, to prevent cancellation of benefits. Payroll is processed in the month following the work hours, which means you will receive your first payroll check on August 20, 2024.
Per your instructions to Mrs. Burke, I am emailing you this information rather than mailing it.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best regards,
Dr. Allison Pope
cc: Dr. Matt Summers, Hurley Superintendent
In short, the Hurley R-1 School District, under the direction of Dr. Murphy-Pope, refused to follow legal FMLA procedures upon my return. They did not allow me to resume my current and official position, they took away my benefits, and they decided to pay me hourly instead of salary (this is about $6,000 less than my yearly salary).
Per your instructions to Mrs. Burke, I am emailing you this information rather than mailing it.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best regards,
Dr. Allison Pope
cc: Dr. Matt Summers, Hurley Superintendent
In short, the Hurley R-1 School District, under the direction of Dr. Murphy-Pope, refused to follow legal FMLA procedures upon my return. They did not allow me to resume my current and official position, they took away my benefits, and they decided to pay me hourly instead of salary (this is about $6,000 less than my yearly salary).
The FMLA manual clearly states that employers cannot take these actions. I educated myself on the ins and outs of FMLA in order to help teachers use FMLA leave for their pregnancies. It took the fall of my career to find out that helping others doesn't matter in small town communities led by administrators like Murphy-Pope.
Williams does not say whether the alleged Facebook scrubbing order came at the same time Webb City faculty and staff and the public became aware of controversial tweets and retweets on her Twitter page or whether the order came earlier.
When the tweets came to light, Pope told Byrd her account had been hacked.
Williams, in a comment posted on a March 14 Turner Report post, took issue with her claim.
She was NOT hacked! Not possible!
In a message sent to his staff, Byrd let it be known he believed Pope's hacking claim even before an investigation took place.
Our tech department was notified and immediately started working with Dr. Pope and I to try to find out when and how.
Byrd claimed faculty and staff spread the word through the community by telling the Turner Report, even though he sent the message to his staff and word had spread through the community before it was posted in the Turner Report.
Instead of a careful examination of Pope's social media activities, Byrd let it be known he was laying the blame on the teachers and staff members who were concerned about the type of material that was on her social media dating back several years.
Byrd says that after all the supportive letters and emails he has received from Pope’s colleagues at Hurley that he is 100% sure that she is an “upstanding mentor and educator, loves kids and will help any kid.”Apparently, Byrd did not receive any letters or e-mails from Lucas Williams.
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37 comments:
Oh My God, Of course she wasn't hacked. And now there is even more proof of it, not that there needed to be more proof that she lied about being hacked in the first place. The WC technology department helped shut down her twitter and here in hurley this employee scrubbed her facebook at her direction. She showed her hand and then tried to bluff after getting caught. Now she is webb city's problem, good luck and you get to blame brenten byrd for this huge failure. Classic example of buyer beware, should have done a Carfax first, then you'd have seen the QANON nutso you were getting for roughly $150,000.00 plus a year. Tax dollars not so well spent.
The real travesty here is not just that she is an extremely bad hire, but that she and the other two superintendents are making huge six figure salaries to be incompetent jokes, while teachers and other staff make pennies on the dollar compared to them. (ever wonder why administrator's salaries aren't posted, but everyone else's are). Someone at the top should have vetted her thoroughly, but they did not even check her social media accounts. They are paid a lot of money for nothing it would seem. The staff and students will suffer from this hire as is evident from her time in Hurley and Aurora before that. They should have just asked one of us in Hurley and we could have told them what a spoiled apple looks like. Or maybe asked about why she left Aurora junior high and why she left North KC before that.
Why aren't these Administrative Employment Contracts - written so if you are caught doing or lying about something - your Position is automatically terminated. This has happened so many times in Joplin, where they have had to pay 6-Figure Salaries to Superintendents who were terminated for cause. Why should the District have to use Tax-Payer Funds to cover the School Boards and/or Superintendents Fault. Is this all about Unions Controls over the Administration and Teachers - and their Lobby.
I remember a Legal Case, in Joplin, where a Teacher was caught with Drugs in her Desk and Purse - when the Cops were brought in and they used a Drug Dog in Joplin High School - to check for Drugs throughout School - Lockers, everywhere.
The School Administrators, put her on leave, she was charged and found guilty and lost her job so she Sued the School Board, with her Attorney from the Teachers Union and I believe they settled the case. This could only happen when you have Unions involved - Not in any Business - since you can be Fired for most cause, but we have to use the Taxpayer's Money, who Pay for the Schools - to Fight Idiotic Lawsuits and Bad Administrators - when why don't we have Legal Contracts that Spell out completely - so we can weed-out chaff, and reward the Best Teachers.
The irony of this… Pope’s whole persona (a no BS god-loving MAGA patriot who stands for the flag and supports veterans) got her the job at Webb City. But her bullying and harassment of a combat veteran will be what loses her the job at Webb City.
Thank you for your service Mr. Williams and for standing up for what is right. There are a lot of people in Webb City who are grateful for your willingness to come forward. Hopefully the instances you documented will be enough to prompt Byrd to “immediately take action” this time.
Are we surprised that Webb Shitty Schools would hire this person? Are we surprised the superintendent covered it up and said she got hacked? Are we surprised that he retired effective in May after the incident? They have been downhill fast, and this hire will put them even farther down the hole.
If their football team wins, who cares about the kids or teachers? They had 30 resignations this year and disguised them by releasing them one by one on their website. The district is nothing like it used to be, and I'm just waiting for a mass exodus of parents to move out when they figure out what is going on. I would personally never enroll my children in a district that is that corrupt.
Another great report by Randy Turner. Keep digging, and you might just turn that district around!
Thank you to this veteran who served his country. It is one thing to say you support the military and quite something different to actually serve. Mrs. Pope should be ashamed to treat an employee, especially a vet, this way. Shame on her. Thank you for your bravery to come forward and let us know what kind of person she is before it is to late. Thank you for your service sir.
Surprise Surprise Surprise!
This is just embarrassing for Webb city schools at this point…
Surely the overwhelming amount of evidence against Pope will prompt Webb City to take action. This is unacceptable
We now know that she openly harasses and bullies co-workers, doesn't have respect or tolerance for our students of different religions or ethnicities, and chooses to align with hate. What will it take to remove her Webb City? Her position is one of power. She needs removed and again Webb City is handling this terribly.
Ask yourself this… if everything that has been reported about Dr pope were done by a teacher, or a secretary, or a custodian would they still have a job??? Why is it that only the person in a position of power gets a pass? Shouldn’t they be held to an even higher standard?
Wow, thank you to Mr. Williams for speaking up! That takes a lot of courage. Seems the pattern from Dr. Pope is unprofessional conduct. We don't need her in Webb City!
So the teachers were thrown under the bus by their own administration...sounds about right.
In his letter to staff, Byrd criticized those who were sharing information about Pope's alleged tweets.
"Please let this serve as a reminder that if you see something that doesn't seem right or is derogatory in nature on a social media account, please do not gossip about it, but instead let an administrator know so we can immediately take action."
"she is just sick over the false and inaccurate representation that this situation has caused. I am beyond frustrated that as we try to start a new chapter in the great school district of Webb City that someone so incomprehensible would try to create drama."
From the previous blog post, "In an e-mail to district personnel, the current Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Brenten Byrd, who will become superintendent July 1, said Pope, who currently serves as superintendent of the Hurley R-1 School District, claims she was hacked, and he believes her.
It was brought to our attention yesterday, midday, that there were some strange and offensive tweets on Dr. Pope's Twitter account. We immediately contacted Dr. Pope who shut down her Twitter account and indicated she had been hacked.
Our tech department was notified and immediately started working with Dr. Pope and I to try to find out when and how.
Byrd provided a number of reasons why he believed Pope, including the background check of Pope's social media district officials reportedly did before Pope was hired."
The dates on the blog's screenshots from her social media accounts indicate otherwise! Seems a lot of lying is occurring. Does the district not think this content is offensive? She clearly posted it and there are her true colors!
I'm starting to wonder how many of the folks that hired her
It is past time that the school board take action on this. If Dr. Byrd won't then they need to do something with her and with him. He knows she is lying. He knows but doesn't care. Bad decisions after bad decision makes him a poor leader who needs to be held to account for his lack of action. The first time this woman does something to a staff member, they have one hell of a lawsuit because administration knew in advance and let it happen. He is showing that he doesn't give two craps about the people who work there. It is all about him saving face. It has become evident that he cares more about his own position of authority more than protecting those most vulnerable. WAKE UP and smell the BS that surrounds this pile of garbage. Enough is enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Time for the parents and the teachers union to get involved too.
Why do you people automatically believe the worst? Isn’t there a possibility the Williams guy is lying? At the very least exaggerating?
Because he documented everything with dates, times, and quoted emails. everything he said aligns perfectly with all of the previous evidence discovered by Webb city staff. No one at Webb City has ever talked to this guy and he corroborated everything they have said from the very beginning independently. What you should be asking is why, after all of this, is the Webb City school board still comfortable with this situation?
I guess I missed the threat
Case net check Williams out .. has nothing to do with his daughter but claims he’s fighting for women. Come on people your better then this. He has a past with having issues with women. This is just another one.
You’re right, it’s impossible that he’s telling the truth because he had a personal custody dispute 8 years ago. Impeccable logic. It would probably be best for Webb City if the school board just buried their head in the sand on this one and didn’t investigate it.
lol Well if you know him then you ( right) What’s funny is that he’s on here dropping comments like he’s someone else. Right Lucas
I divorced my wife in 2006. She was cheating on me while on deployment and had spent all my savings. I have a DUI from 2008. I lost my license for a while and fixed all of that. I had a rough past, but I'm honest, caring and highly educated. No felonies and I can and have passed multiple federal background checks. I use my full name when I post here. Why would I lie? This has ruined my career in the educational system. I am not another one. There are also multiple Lucas Williams on Casenet. One is a rapist..... Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous, you are another one! An idiot that jumps to the first conclusion.
The Custody case was to update the amount that I paid for child support. 17 years of child support with no missed payments. I have record of that too. I'm fighting for humans, the educational system and FMLA rights. Not just women. You can all contact me anytime. I have a lot of free time now. I'm happy to answer any questions. I wouldn't blast my name out if I thought there was something I should hide. Also, I don't hide anything from anyone. Facts should always be known before opinions.
I have only posted with my full name, Lucas Kyle Williams. My initial post stating that Pope was not hacked and that it wasn't possible was the only post I have made without my full name. Seems like the Pope fans are anonymous cowards.
That’s what I’m saying . People can’t be nice anymore
So you are in your child’s life good for you that’s outstanding
No cowards lock women in closets against their wishes
Keep lying on your personal/business taxes. The IRS loves that. They also have been informed. They will be contacting you, promise!
I didn’t lock her in a closet lol… I know who you are now! I’ve only told that to two people. Lol… you can contact Alissa! She’s on my side. That was 10 years ago! 4 years before I was hired. You are so hurtful. I’m crying myself to sleep! 🤢🤮
lol are you sure brother
Positive, Mr. Ricky Pope., Dr. Pope's husband. Should we talk about all the problems you've had and all the things she has complained about you, to me, over the past 6 years?
I think we should! Crazy how your comments stopped! IP addresses are magic 😬👍
Thank you! I’m not in the wrong! I appreciate your support. I don’t think I have a career in School Bookkeeping anymore though. Oh well! I was/am able to retire this year! That’s what’s different with previous employees! IDGAF. 😎 Everyone needs to be shown the truth. School Boards, Supers’ and everyone! Bullies never win! Promise…
Because I’m honest! Always!
Where did you go?? It’s Lucas! 😬😜🫡
Thank you! Whoever you are! I just can’t stand peeps getting away with being mean to others or thinking they are better than those they are mean to! I’m pretty much retired now, so I can call the idiots/bigots out, and not fret! It’s just crazy how special some people think they are! Dumb and crazy! They all find out, in the end! I’ve been a loser before! You can change😬🫡
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