The Hamilton County school board made an abrupt about-face Thursday night as members started listening to the grievance of a former teacher, but then stopped after realizing they weren’t sure how to proceed.
Officials with the Hamilton County Education Association began presenting the case of Lacey Bishop, a former second-grade teacher at Hillcrest Elementary School, who claims an unnamed disability kept principal Katrina Overton from granting her tenure after her third year of teaching in Hamilton County Schools.
PDF: HCEA grievance appeal PDF: Appeal to Board PDF: Grievance PDF: Grievance disposition form
Ms. Bishop, daughter of longtime Red Bank High School principal Don Bishop, took an unusual route in bringing her grievance before the Hamilton County Board of Education rather than an arbitrator in an official grievance hearing.
Because this was the first time an employee had taken this avenue for a grievance, school board members were confused about what authority they had to reverse the grievance that system Superintendent Jim Scales already had denied, and whether they even should listen to the case made by the association.
In the end, they took the advice of school board attorney Scott Bennett and decided to table the issue until the July board meeting. In the meantime, Mr. Bennett said, he would talk to lawyers representing the Tennessee Education Association to discuss how to proceed.
“Once TEA legal (personnel) and I have an understanding what the rules of the road are, we can move forward,” he said.
Ms. Bishop declined comment on the outcome of Thursday’s meeting. Ushered away by a group of supporters, she said, “I can’t talk to you; I have representation. I’m really sorry.”
Mr. Bishop, who also came to Thursday’s meeting in support of his daughter, said he was frustrated at the board’s indecision. He said he believes there is more to his daughter’s case than unsatisfactory performance.
“How can you go for three years, the first two years she’s a role model and the third year something happened?” he asked.
He said he used to be friends with Ms. Overton, “I thought.”
Asked if the fact that he no longer was friends with the principal played into his daughter’s dismissal from Hillcrest, he said, “I don’t know. I think (Ms. Overton) thinks it did. You’d have to ask her.”
Ms. Overton was not available Thursday for comment.
Some school board members said they were hesitant to discuss documents written by Ms. Overton because she was not present at the meeting.
Another area of confusion for the board involved what is being sought by Ms. Bishop. She asked to be reinstated as a teacher in Hamilton County and to receive tenure. Mr. Bennett told the board they legally cannot rehire someone who has not been given tenure.
The association suggested the board could make a recommendation to Dr. Scales about Ms. Bishop’s employment.
“It appears that there may be an attempt to skirt the process so the grievant will be treated unjustly and unfairly again,” said Jennifer Woods, a member of the education association and chairwoman of its grievance committee.
Connie Atkins, the school system’s assistant superintendent for human resources, suggested that the association consider taking its case to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that enforces discrimination laws.
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