Photo Credit: Andrea Farnham

A rally for Clarke County School Superintendent Demond Means drew about 50 people Friday.

Demond Means came to work Friday and apparently will stay on as superintendent of the Clarke County School District at least through next week.

Means said he would resign after a contentious discussion at Thursday's school board meeting regarding the board's response to an ethics complaint filed against Means with the Professional Standards Commission, which certifies educators. The board urged the PSC to dismiss the formal complaint, but a line added by board member Tawana Mattox saying that the board would hold Means accountable drew the superintendent's ire.

"By virtue of that vote, you don't want me as superintendent, and we need to have a discussion about how I leave," he told the board Thursday.

Friday, CCSD issued a statement saying that Means "remains under contract and continues to carry out his duties as superintendent." It referred questions to board President LaKeisha Gantt, who did not return a call seeking comment.

Xernona Thomas, Means' chief of staff, made similar remarks at a rally in support of Means at the the district's central office in the H.T. Edwards complex on Friday afternoon, according to board Vice President Linda Davis.

Davis added that Gantt has been in touch with Means and is trying to schedule an executive session to discuss his employment status, but it won't happen until after the Thanksgiving break.

At the rally, speakers like local civil rights leader Fred Smith urged the African American community to support Means and ask him to stay.