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It's Splitsville for School Supt. Jenney After months of rumors, wild speculation, and misinformation, it's official: School Supt. Timothy Jenney has filed for a divorce from his wife. The Bill of Complaint was filed Oct. 11 in Virginia Beach Circuit Court. It states: "The parties separated on June 3, 2001 and have lived separate and apart, without any cohabitation and without interruption, since that time, and there is no chance of reconciliation." Jenney and his wife, Rebecca, were married Jan.9, 1971 in Battle Creek, MI and have three grown children. One source said, "Considering his record of professional relationships with subordinates (and teachers), I not surprised about his personal relationship." Jenney could not be reached for comment. Jenney has been the subject of considerable and at times controversial publicity. It was also in June 2001that it was reported he'd hired Jeanne Evans, who only had a high school diploma, for $80,000 as his government affairs coordinator. After it was reported that Evans, former aide to Cong. Owen Pickett, was among the most abusive Democratic partisans against Republicans and that there were no Democrats left standing in the legislative delegations, Jenney immediately changed her job title to administrative assistant to the superintendent. She's since been given 2 raises. Known by subordinates as "TLD - the Terrible Little Dwarf" for his aggressive (and some say abusive) management style. "He suffers the typical 'short man syndrome', using power to compensate for his lack of stature in his relationships," said one staffer. It was also reported in 2001 that he'd hired a teacher as the contractor to build his new home on Rudee Inlet. The teacher had to sue Jenney to collect. While such relationships are allowed by the school board - a superior hiring a subordinate for private work - some questioned their propriety. The relationship prompted school board member Sandra Smith-Jones to say: "I don't think we should be hiring teachers to do our personal work. For him (Jenney) to be his boss in two different places at the same time is very questionable and I am disappointed to hear this. If the policy wasn't followed, it is his (Jenney's) responsibility to respond to the public quickly." A subcontractor also said he had to sue to collect for work he'd done. "I've never met anybody as sneaky as him," the man told VNS. Jenney's divorce petition asks that he be awarded a divorce..."on grounds of a 1-year separation...". See related stories:
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