Teacher files lawsuit against school board

Barbara G. Halsey, a former Piney Creek educator, has appealed a decision by the Alleghany County School Board not to renew her contract as a teacher. The civil action will be heard in Alleghany County Superior Court, which will not meet again until March of 2001.

The Alleghany County School Board has until Oct. 30 to respond to the notice of appeal after an extension was granted to the board on Sept. 22.

The board requested the extension through attorney Jonathan A. Blumburg of Tharrington Smith of Raleigh, who is representing the school system in this action.

Davis said that Blumburg was appointed to the case by the school system's liability insurance company, Surry Insurance of Mount Airy. According to the documents, Halsey names outgoing Board of Education Chairman Bobby Irwin and Superintendent Duane Davis as the defendants in the case.

Due to the type of suit that has been filed, an appeal, no specific damages are sought at this point, according to Halsey. Halsey said that she is asking for tenure and either her position back or a comparable position here.

Halsey said that she taught here for six years at Sparta in the 1980s and then taught fourth grade from 1998 through 2000 at Piney Creek.

"At the end of two years the principal has to go in front of the board and recommend whether or not to give you tenure," he chose not to give her tenure, she said. Teachers without tenure do not have to be given a reason for their dismissal, but the reason cannot be personal, political, capricious, arbitrary or discriminatory, Halsey said.

"I believe it was personal and political," she said. "I have done absolutely nothing wrong. I am guilty of having high expectations and expecting 100 percent from every child whom I teach. Every evaluation I was given was excellent and there was nothing listed (on evaluations) in areas for improvement."

Teachers without tenure are evaluated three times per year, Halsey said. The teacher then has a conference with the principal, she said. She said she was not informed of any problems. Halsey is now working in Wilkes County.
 
 

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