Former Murray County Schools superintendent Eric McFee has reached a settlement with the school system, which relieved him of his duties in March, according to a school system spokesman.

CHATSWORTH, Ga. — Murray County Schools has agreed to a settlement with former superintendent Eric McFee, according to a school system spokesman.

In a statement, Mike Tuck, Murray County Schools in-house legal counsel and director of human resources, wrote Tuesday: “On the evening of March 8, 2018, the district decided to terminate its relationship with Dr. McFee and he was immediately relieved of all duties. Dr. McFee, through his attorney, raised certain procedural issues as to the termination and requested a hearing. A hearing was scheduled, but prior to the hearing, in order to avoid the cost and uncertainty of any possible protracted litigation, the district agreed to settle with Dr. McFee. A settlement agreement is in the process of being finalized.”

Tuck said he could not comment further.

Reached by phone on Tuesday, McFee declined to comment. In an email to the Daily Citizen-News on Monday, McFee said he had not been fired by the board.

Several school board members did not immediately return telephone messages Tuesday.

At the time McFee was terminated, a board member and Tuck said board member Aaron Phillips abstained and all other board members voted to relieve McFee of his duties. Tuck declined then to answer other questions, including whether McFee was still being paid. McFee was paid $114,583 — plus an additional $8,718 for travel — in 2017, according to open.georgia.gov, a website that provides information on how the state spends tax dollars and other revenues.

McFee started as superintendent of Murray County Schools on Aug. 1, 2016, replacing Vickie Reed, who left earlier that year to become superintendent of Brooks County Schools after 10 years at the helm in Murray County.

McFee had been principal of Gilmer High School in Ellijay for a year and a half. Before that, he spent 27 years in the Lee County, Fla., school system.

“I was a principal, assistant principal, athletic director and teacher,” he said during an interview with the Daily Citizen-News in August of 2016. “I taught physical education, Spanish and dropout prevention and coached basketball and swimming and anything else they needed me to do.”