Question 6: You’re on the BOE, and your child’s favorite teacher becomes the subject of serious allegations. The school district investigates and shares the results with the BOE. The district is now recommending that the BOE approve firing this teacher. What do you do?
Timothy Alworth: The most important thing to remember in a situation like this is that BOE members must be objective throughout the entire process. The BOE members must examine all the facts surrounding the allegations, and the results of the investigation. It is also important that the BOE members look at the investigation itself to make sure that it was conducted fairly, and that the investigation was objective and unbiased. The BOE must remain impartial and deal only with facts in deciding whether to approve termination. Personal feelings should not be involved. This teacher being my child’s favorite teacher would not weigh in my decision.
The safety of our students is paramount. If the allegations are serious and involve a student, or there is any type of safety or liability concerns, the teacher should be immediately removed from student contact until the conclusion of the investigation.
Due diligence is important in examining all the facts. The claims against the teacher must be investigated thoroughly by an independent body and, depending on the seriousness of the allegations, with outside counsel. The Board has a responsibility to follow due process. Board members need to make sure that the investigation was done fairly with no bias. If a teacher is to be terminated, the Board must be sure that the investigation and methods are objective, and the results are accurate.
If the district’s investigation uncovers clear evidence of wrong doing and the charges are serious enough in nature to warrant no other action than termination, then the BOE must approve firing the teacher. There should be no consideration as to any personal relationships, positive or negative, that a Board member may have with this teacher. These subjective, personal feelings should have no place in any decision of the Board.
If the district’s investigation does not uncover clear evidence of wrong doing, or if the results of the investigation show that an offense may have occurred but was not serious enough in nature to warrant termination, the board should not approve of the recommendation of termination as stands. The Board should go back to the district with a recommendation to gather further evidence to support their recommendation or to recommend an alternative solution.
In summary, the Board members need to ignore their personal feelings in situations like these. They must first make sure that the investigation is thorough and impartial. Then they must decide whether the facts and evidence uncovered corroborate the accusations. Finally, they must decide whether the offense is worthy of termination. If the case fits all of these criteria then the BOE must approve the recommendation and terminate the teacher.
