Killingsworth pleads guilty

Aug. 07--ELIZABETHTOWN -- Former Bladen County Schools Superintendent Gregory Killingsworth pleaded guilty in Bladen County Superior Court to one felony count of obtaining property by false pretenses on Wednesday.

According to reports, he will be sentenced on Monday, Aug. 25.

Killingsworth abruptly resigned from his position as superintendent after a contentious board of education meeting in October 2010. In the board's February 2011 meeting, members of the public addressed the board and alleged wrong doing by Killingsworth and requested the board conduct an investigation.

In the same meeting the board requested that the district attorney's office conduct an investigation into Killingsworth's alleged misuse of a school board credit card; allegations he received supplemental pay without board authorization; and misrepresentation of a dependent (non-family member) on his insurance plan.

At the time of offense, the board did not have a credit card use policy in place, according to a March 2011 email from Bladen County Schools Public Relations Director Valerie Newton. The board later adopted a credit card use policy in February 2012.

Killingsworth has not made any public statements regarding the matter since his resignation.

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