CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Albemarle County School Board member Jim Dillenbeck resigned Wednesday morning, at the behest of the other members of the Board, the school division announced.

The resignation comes in the wake of a controversial Town Hall meeting Dillenbeck held on Oct. 1 at Northside Library. Dillenbeck, in his first term as the Rio District representative, said he was seeking to increase transparency for families during a tumultuous time for the school division. He fielded questions from constituents about current scandals and other issues, but also may have breached labor laws and division personnel policies with some of what he told the audience that night.

“At a recent town hall, Mr. Dillenbeck revealed information entrusted to him in confidence. He directly contradicted the facts known to this board,” the School Board’s statement said. “He revealed sensitive personnel information that he knew to be confidential. And he publicly legitimized rumors and opinions by stating them as fact, which they were not. Mr. Dillenbeck disregarded accuracy and the privacy of staff, and made false statements about the school division, despite repeated requests that he share information honestly and accurately. In the wake of that town hall meeting, families and school communities suffered serious damage.”

The statement was signed by Chair Rebecca Berlin (White Hall District), Vice Chair Ellen Osborne (Scottsville District), Kate Acuff (Jack Jouett District), Bob Beard (Samuel Miller District) and Judy Lê (Rivanna District). Dillenbeck declined comment to Cville Right Now on Wednesday morning.

Dillenbeck’s resignation comes immediately after the death of Burley Middle School seventh grade teacher Paul Regan, a death Charlottesville Police are investigating as a suicide, according to Chief of Police Michael Kochis.

Regan had worked at Henley Middle School before moving to Burley for this school year.

During his Town Hall meeting, Dillenbeck appeared to reference Regan’s move, casting it in a disparaging light.

“There’s a term that’s come up recently, ‘trash transfer.’ It’s something along the lines of, somebody does something inappropriate at one school, we transfer him to another school,” Dillenbeck said. “I can tell you there’s a staff member at Burley (Middle School) right now who demonstrated some inappropriate behavior with the staff at Henley (Middle School) last year. He’s now at Burley.”

The Albemarle County School Board received an email Monday from a parent calling for an investigation into Dillenbeck’s Town Hall meeting on Oct. 1, where Dillenbeck revealed information about school division leaves and transfers, including the comment that mirrored Regan’s situation.

“He has accessed what should be private HR information and weaponized it,” the email, which Cville Right Now obtained a copy of, said.

The school division has been under scrutiny since two staffers were arrested. Woodbrook teacher Nicholas Clark was arrested in March on child pornography charges and Hollymead Elementary staffer Michael Swiney was arrested in June on felony charges of sex crimes against children.

On June 11, the school board asked Superintendent Dr. Matthew Haas to resign, which he did on June 20. On July 9, Hollymead Principal Joe McCauley, who had been on administrative leave, resigned.

On July 16, Heidi Gilman Bennett, an outgoing officer with the ACPS Family Council, publicly accused ACPS Assistant Superintendent for Strategic Planning Dr. Patrick McLaughlin of sexual harassment. McLaughlin was placed on administrative leave.

On Sept. 25, Albemarle County Board of Supervisors member Sally Duncan called for an independent investigation of what she labeled “a toxic culture” in the division’s central office.

The Board will fill the Rio District vacancy with an appointment. The Board’s next meeting is Thursday, which will be the first meeting for new at-large member David Storm. The Board named Storm to replace Allison Spillman, who resigned in August.

“Dillenbeck broke our trust, and we called on him to resign,” the Board’s statement said. “While we accept his resignation, we urge him, as a private citizen, to work to repair the harm he has caused. Our board has work to do as well. Trust between this board, the community and ACPS staff has been tested, and rebuilding it is a responsibility of each of us.”