GENESEE COUNTY -- Beverly Knox-Pipes' attorney, Tom Pabst says charges filed against the former GISD assistant superintendent came as a shock to his client.
Pabst says last Fall Knox-Pipes was given a choice.
"Lisa Hagel gave Beverly Knox-Pipes an ultimatum. You resign or you're terminated. Well Bev didn't resign so she was terminated."
According to a drafted resignation agreement given to Knox-Pipes by GISD in November 2011, she owed the district $480 for misuse of district phone equipment. She was also asked to resign.
"When she came in and hired me it said showed 480 bucks in phone discrepancy. I said that's ridiculous. No one fires a 16-year employee over $480 and she had a good explanation for it," says Pabst.
Fast forward months and following an extensive audit by Plante Moran, Knox Pipes is charged with numerous offenses alleging she used $88,000 worth of district equipment to fund her affair with former GISD superintendent Dr. Thomas Svitkovich.
Pabst denies the charges. "If you really hold these charges up to the sunlight they just turn to dust."
