Memphis City Schools Beat Blog

The ongoing investigation into mismanagement of the district's Central Nutrition Center has taken a new turn.

Two of the district's internal auditors are expected to appear before a state grand jury next week to discuss their findings, as my colleague Marc Perrusquia first reported this afternoon.

Several subpoenas have been issued in the matter. Empaneling a state grand jury is an unusual move but officials from the Shelby County District Attorney General's office asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to get involved. The TBI issued several subpoenas for e-mails, time sheets and other records earlier this spring.

After the Memphis Board of Education received letters last summer alleging mismanagement at the Central Nutrition Center, the board asked the district's internal auditor to investigate, even though they'd been previously assured by top district administrators that there was no "malfeasance" found at the CNC.

What auditors found led them to call in the health department and to the dumping of more than 200 tons of food, worth more than $800,000, as first reported by The Commercial Appeal.

The internal investigation led to the resignation, firing and resassignment of several employees, including former nutrition services director James Jordan.