Jenney notifies school board of plans to marry one of his school principals
Rumors also circulate that he may be planning to resign as superintendent

Virginia Beach School Supt. Timothy R. Jenney has notified the school board in a confidential memo with an attached legal opinion of his plans to marry one of his school principals Sept. 27.  

Jenney refuses to interview with or respond to  VNS on the self-determined grounds that he does not consider VNS a legitimate media outlet. The truth, however, is that VNS is the only agency Jenney can't intimate, control, or spoon feed his personal view of the news.

Also late Monday rumors were circulating that Jenney may resign, but that could not be confirmed by the Virginia News Source.  One x-employee noted that Jenney has split from his wife, has gotten a legal opinion covering his questionable relationship with a subordinate, and the school board meets today.  "Looks like all the planets could be lining up," the person said.

The memo summarized his intentions and the legal opinion that there's nothing legally to stop his plans.

Court records posted on the Internet, however,  do not show that Jenney's divorce from wife, Rebecca, is final yet.

Jenney who got the board to short-change educational needs by $70,000 to pay for him to get a MBA at Duke University (instead of one of the cheaper VA colleges), suspended his education program earlier 'to deal with personal problems' he told the board.  What he didn't tell them was those problems included being in the middle of a divorce and romance simultaneously. (See 'Splitsville...for Jenney' an exclusive VNS story on Jenney allowing his personal problems to interfere with his professional life).  

Instead of completing the MBA  program last September as scheduled, he is now set  to finish this September, but one person said that may be questionable.

There'd been reports going back to last fall that Jenney had been openly dating Alice Gay Kampfmueller (she is known as Gay),  principal at Strawbridge Elementary School, after splitting from his wife and moving out of a home they built at Rudee Inlet.  (See links to related stories below).  Some speculate that it was stress arising from his housing situation at Rudee that may have contributed to his martial problems.

Jenney attended Christmas holiday functions with Kampfmueller and was seen with her at public school athletic events. "He wasn't hiding," said one x-employee, "it was obvious they were 'love birds'."

Apparently the reports reached the critical stage when members of the board were questioned as they visited various schools and others were quizzed at public gatherings.

As rumors about his relationship and where he was living spread, at some point, Jenney requested an official legal opinion from school board attorney Ms. Camala Lanetti who reported that such a marriage could be legally allowed under school board regulations and conflict of interest laws.  It would not violate the board's nepotism policy.  His marriage, in effect, would be grand-fathered and allowed.

Board members, however, questioned the voters' perception of potential for favoritism and appearance of a questionable relationship between the boss and a subordinate.  

A similar situation evolved when Jenney hired a school teacher (and subordinate) to build his home at Rudee Inlet.  The teacher subsequently had to sue Jenney to get paid.  Several board members questioned the propriety of those actions.

Jenney, known by subordinates as TLD (the terrible little dwarf) and 'Tiny Tim,' has a reputation for doing whatever he wants knowing that his board is basically ineffective in disciplining him.  One person said, "Jenney knows that a majority of the board members are pretty 'whimpy' as policy makers and his boss.  He has no reason to fear them.  They're 'toothless' tigers."

And the relationship of boss vs. principal is  something with which the board will have to deal.  

Several years ago, a source told VNS, Kampfmueller was disciplined for unauthorized use of the Princess Anne High School gym for an after hours 'girls' basketball game or at least the situation was brought to the attention of the then superintendent. 

Several school board members confirmed VNS's information about Jenney's marriage plans, but said they couldn't discuss details because the data was in the form of a confidential memo.

School Board Chairman Dan Edwards, when asked about the reports of Jenney's marriage plans and possible resignation, said, "I can't confirm or deny either."  He also said that he didn't know anything about the confidential memo, but then added, he wouldn't comment instead, adding, "What Tim Jenney does as a private person is his business."

Related links:

• School teacher Jenney hired to build his home had to sue superintendent to get paid

• It was a lovely day in the neighborhood until Mr. Jenney lost his view

• Questions Jenney refused to answer about hiring a school teacher to build his home

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