Former Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Leonard Seawood is facing up to 25 years in prison if convicted on charges of embezzlement and obtaining money by false pretenses. Berrien County Prosecutor Michael Sepic accuses Seawood of being paid for 80 vacation days above and beyond the five his contract allowed per year from July 2010 to October 2015. The prosecutor’s office says the extra day cash payouts totaled around $45,000. Seawood was suspended in April 2015, and he stepped down six months later. When he left, the school district paid him $80,000 as part of a separation agreement. Seawood posted bond and is due back in court for preliminary hearings on April 21 and 27.
