Pubdate: Fri, 16 Feb 2007
Source: Charleston Gazette (WV)
Copyright: 2007 Charleston Gazette
Contact:  http://www.wvgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/77
Author: Anna L. Mallory, Staff Writer
Note: Does not print out of town letters.

SCHOOL DRUG TESTS INCLUDE TOP OFFICES

Kanawha County Proposes Policy

A proposed drug testing policy for Kanawha County school employees 
will include board members and central office workers if it's 
approved, board members affirmed Thursday.

Meanwhile, the former principal whose arrest kick-started discussions 
about drug testing was found not guilty on misdemeanor drug 
possession charges in Kanawha County Magistrate Court on Thursday.

The Kanawha school board -- and the county's teachers and principals 
unions -- had been uncertain about administrators' role in the random 
drug-testing scenario because the policy outlined Thursday did not 
specifically mention top employees or elected officials.

It did specify 36 particular "safety-sensitive" jobs, but also named 
anyone who drives a county vehicle or their own car more than 10 
miles each week.

"It's in there if you read the fine print. We all drive for the job," 
said Superintendent Ron Duerring. "We should have put [everybody] in it."

He said those defined were part of other policies pulled from across 
the nation.

Board members, excluding Pete Thaw, said they never planned not to 
include high-level employees. Thaw had voiced concerns over the 
policy as worded.

The policy, which would subject employees to random testing even 
without reasonable suspicion of drug use, was kick-started in October 
after Pratt Elementary Principal David Anderson was charged with 
possession of cocaine.

In Kanawha County Magistrate Court on Thursday, a jury found Anderson 
not guilty of misdemeanor possession charges. His lawyer, Bill 
Forbes, said he hoped Anderson would be reinstated in an 
administrative role in the school system.

School board member Barbara Welch said Thursday evening that Duerring 
confirmed Anderson's acquittal after the meeting. She said he did not 
give any indication whether Anderson would be reinstated.

Welch and board member Becky Jordon said they didn't know about the 
ruling during Thursday's board meeting. Even so, the two wavered at 
the meeting on the idea of drug testing, worried about skyrocketing legal fees.

"Maybe I overreacted," said Jordon. "I feel that we could be opening 
a can of worms." She said the test might be best used only for 
pre-employment purposes.

Welch contends the drug policy and the Anderson ruling are two separate issues.

Thaw and Bill Raglin said during the meeting the policy must be 
enacted, but that they'd wait for school board President Jim Crawford 
to weigh in after a two-month comment period.

Crawford said after the meeting he's not dismissing the idea.

Teachers say they wish he would and that it's contributing to a 
downgrade in morale.

They worry random testing could create false positives, ruin 
teachers' reputations and open some of their medical records to 
public scrutiny if they have to defend a false positive.

"And, people might look at you in a different light after that," said 
Grandview Elementary teacher Debbie Kitchen. "It's none of their business."

They point to a similar situation in a neighboring county when a 
woman tested positive because of a prescription drug, was suspended 
and then reinstated after she declared the legal drug.

The policy, with revisions to include central office workers, will be 
on comment for two months and the board will review it again.

"Oh, we won't abandon it, I can guarantee that," Thaw said after the meeting.

In other action Thursday, the board:

Decided to move its monthly curriculum meetings to 4 p.m. to 
accommodate teachers' schedules. The next meeting is set for March 5.

Voted 3-2 to grandfather in current coaches who also serve as 
athletic directors. A new job description approved at an early 
meeting says that athletic directors cannot be head coaches. Now, 
when the current director who doubles as a coach steps down, no coach 
can replace him or her. Raglin said the decision allows employees to 
"double dip" because they would receive both stipends.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine