Pubdate: Sun, 15 Apr 2007
Source: Daily News Journal  (Murfreesboro, TN)
Copyright: 2007 The Daily News Journal
Contact: 
http://dnj.midsouthnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=CUSTOMERSERVICE03
Website: http://dnj.midsouthnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1709
Author: Tosheena Robinson-Blair
Note: MAP archives articles exactly as published, except that our
editors may redact the names and addresses of accused persons who
have not been convicted of a crime, if those named are not otherwise
public figures or officials.

TEACHER ARREST POLICY DEBATED

Their reasons differ, but some Rutherford County School  Board members
still don't believe that the school  system needs a new policy that
would require county  school workers to report their arrests to
administration officials.

The discussion comes after two teachers were arrested  by police
within a month of each other -- one on  marijuana possession charges,
the other for allegedly  shooting at an Eagleville councilman.

"They probably should notify the school," said School  Board Chairman
Rick Wise. "But to have a policy that  requires that, I think you
ought to be careful."

Wise said the seven-member board doesn't want to  infringe on
teachers' rights.

"They have certain rights, too," he said. "Also when  you make a
policy that's really firm, if somebody  violates that, you have to
have some kind of punishment  for it.

"It's just like zero-tolerance, and I have some  reservations about
zero-tolerance, but every case is  different, and what happens one
place is not exactly  the same as what happens in another place, and I
think  you have to be careful about that."

On March 18, police charged Stewarts Creek Middle  School teacher
(redacted) with simple possession  of marijuana and possession
of drug paraphernalia. He  was charged after Smyrna police responded
to an  unwanted-guest call on Maple Street.

The 54-year-old had been arrested before, once in July  1995 by Smyrna
police on a misdemeanor assault charge  and again in October 1996 on a
DUI charge, later  amended to reckless driving. For the latter, he was
  required to spend three days in jail, pay a $500 fine  and attend
alcohol-safety school.

(redacted) immediate boss, Stewarts Creek Middle's  principal Larry
Creasy, didn't know about the arrest  until some nine days later when
contacted by the media  for a comment on the matter. It's unclear when
(redacted)  brother, Schools Director Harry Gill Jr., found out.

(redacted) arrest came two days after schools dismissed  for spring
break. He is on paid medical leave until he  returns to court Monday
to answer the drug charges.

In the second teacher's arrest, news of (redacted)  felony
charges spread quickly. The 49-year-old Smyrna  High School science
teacher was arrested at school  Wednesday.

She was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm  after she
allegedly fired a gun toward Eagleville  Councilman M.A. Smitty, who
lives next door, the arrest  warrant states. (redacted) allegedly fired
the gun because  she wanted some peace and quiet. She told police that
  she fired the shot at her Eagleville neighbor to "shut  them up."

After the incident, (redacted) -- a veteran school teacher  -- was
suspended without pay for a second time. Gill  Jr. suspended her in
person.

The first time (redacted) was suspended was for five days  in February
2006 after she was charged with assaulting  a former student, Joshua
B. Leverett, during class on  April 6, 2005. Leverett did not
immediately press  charges.

Some School Board members believe the arrests of (redacted) and (redacted)
are isolated incidents.

"Based on my five years experience on the board, I  think these could
be isolated incidents because they  have not occurred before, but yet
we've had two events  that have occurred fairly close together," said
board  member Dorris Jernigan.

"I don't think we should have a policy just yet, but if  this is a
pattern or trend that is developing then  certainly we'll have to act
on that because it is of  concern. You can't say it's not, because it
is."

Jernigan noted that people who work in the public  sector are "held to
a higher standard."

Board member Wayne Blair voiced his concern about the  creation and
adoption of a policy to require teachers  to report their arrests.

"How do you police a policy like that," he asked. "How  do we find out
the information about these incidents  and the people that are
involved? Do you make a policy  that you really can't police?"

Jernigan added that if the board were to adopt such a  policy, it
would still be dependent upon the offending  person to blow the
whistle on themselves, or dependent  upon the media alerting school
officials to the  incident.

"It's like illegal immigrants coming in here. Are they  going to tell
us they are here? They are going to hide  as long as they can," he
said.

Board member Donald Jernigan believes it's a "personal
responsibility" for teachers to report if they are  charged by police
with an offense.

"We don't have a policy or an administrative procedure  for that now,
that I'm aware of, but I think it's a  personal responsibility for
them to notify their  principals," he said.

"Teachers are teachers 365 days a year. They have a  life of their
own, of course, but they never shed the  responsibility of their
position as a professional  teacher and educator," he said.

"We don't need to rush into things. The superintendent  by law is in
charge of personnel within the school  system, and we should hold him
to a high standard and  expect him to hold personnel within the system
to a  high standard."
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MAP posted-by: Derek