A former elementary schoolteacher who accused her principal of treating her unfairly because of a disability has withdrawn her grievance.
PDF: HCEA grievance appeal PDF: Appeal to Board PDF: Grievance PDF: Grievance disposition form
The case of Lacey Bishop, who did not receive tenure last spring after her third year teaching at Hillcrest Elementary School, was supposed to come before the Hamilton County Board of Education during its meeting Thursday.
School board attorney Scott Bennett said Ms. Bishop’s case will not appear before the board, but that “she’s at least suggested she’s considering other options.”
Ms. Bishop could not be reached Thursday evening for comment.
Hamilton County Education Association President Sharon Vandagriff did not return a call seeking comment.
Mr. Bennett said Ms. Bishop now could present an employee discrimination case in Chancery Court through the Human Rights Commission or in federal court through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In June, Ms. Bishop, daughter of longtime Red Bank High School principal Don Bishop, was the first school system employee ever to bring her grievance before the school board rather than an arbitrator in an official grievance hearing.
Schools Superintendent Jim Scales already had denied Ms. Bishop’s grievance and, because this was the first time an employee had taken this avenue, school board members were confused about what authority they had and whether they even should listen to the case, which was being presented by the Education Association.
The plan was to hear the grievance again Thursday until Ms. Bishop withdrew her complaint.
In other action, the board voted to change the name of Brown Academy from Tommie F. Brown Academy for Classical Studies to Tommie F. Brown International Academy. Last month, the school board recognized the elementary school for becoming the first International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme in Tennessee.
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