Kathy Cox (American politician)

Last updated

In 2004, Cox proposed striking the word "evolution" from Georgia textbooks and replacing it with the phrase "biological changes over time." In justifying her decision, she claimed evolution was a buzzword that created problems for teachers in conservative and rural areas, and that she had not been attempting to water down the subject matter. [6] Among those criticizing the proposal were former President Jimmy Carter–a Georgia resident, a Democrat and a well-known Baptist–saying he was "..embarrassed by Superintendent Kathy Cox's attempt to censor and distort the education of Georgia's students... there can be no incompatibility between Christian faith and proven facts concerning geology, biology, and astronomy." [7]

Personal bankruptcy

On November 17, 2008, Cox and her husband declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy due to the failure of her husband's home construction business, listing $3.5 million in debt and $650,000 in assets. [8] The bankruptcy also affected the money won for the schools on Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? . Fidelity Investments, the investor charged in creating a fund for the donor schools, donated the winnings back to Fox in December 2008 from the schools, placing the prize in a limbo that would not benefit anyone. [3]

On August 19, 2009, protesters representing deaf and blind children picketed the office of bankruptcy attorney Gary W. Brown in Newnan, over his efforts to take control of the winnings. According to Brown, the winnings belong to the bankruptcy estate, and should be used to pay back creditors. [9]

In October 2010, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge W. Homer Drake signed off on an agreement to split the $1 million winnings into two equal parts: one half for creditors and the other half for the three state-run schools for the blind and deaf. [10]

Note

  1. ↑ At the time of filming of her episode, Queen Victoria was then the longest-reigning British monarch. Her record was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.

References

  1. ↑ "Kathy Cox's Biography". Vote Smart . Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  2. ↑ Jeffry Scott (5 September 2008). "Kathy Cox outsmarts 5th-graders, wins a million". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  3. 1 2 Atlanta Journal Constitution: "School chief's bankruptcy has $1M prize in limbo", 1/28/2009.
  4. ↑ Carolyn Crist (17 May 2010). "Cox leaving state's top education post". Gainesville Times. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "After 16 years, Georgia's former state school chief returns to the classroom". politics.myajc. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  6. ↑ "CNN.com - Georgia considers banning 'evolution' - Jan. 30, 2004". Archived from the original on October 24, 2006.
  7. ↑ Carter Criticizes Cox
  8. ↑ Larrabee, Brandon. "Struggling finances prompt superintendent\'s bankruptcy". Athens Banner-Herald.
  9. ↑ Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Protest set today over Cox's winnings: Superintendent won game show jackpot, then filed bankruptcy", 8/18/2009.
  10. ↑ "Judge OKs Cox Prize Money Settlement", 10/08/2010. Archived 2013-06-29 at archive.today
Kathy Cox
Kathy Cox.jpg
Member of the GeorgiaHouseofRepresentatives
from the 105th district
In office
January 3, 1999 –January 3, 2003
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Georgia Superintendent of Schools
2002, 2006		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.