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Teacher fired for reporting child abuse, sues school
A former assistant principal at Goodlow School says he was fired for reporting suspected child abuse.
Kenneth Taylor says that while he was assistant principal of the school, a coordinator/teacher in the Reading First program told him that she observed a special education teacher "kick the legs out from under a second grade student who had been identified as requiring special education-related services."
The Reading First teacher told Taylor that she called out the Special Education teacher to stop her actions and the Special Education teacher denied kicking him and stated that he fell on his own, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the following then occurred:
- Taylor explained to the Reading First teacher that she was a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse and required to report it to DCFS, but she refused.
- Taylor spoke to the child in the presence of another staff member.
- Taylor reported the suspected abuse to DCFS.
- After informing the principal, defendant Patricia Lewis, Lewis screamed at Taylor and told him that the Special Education Teacher's actions were "part of therapeutic services being provided to the child."
- Prior to that, Taylor and Lewis had a friendly professional relationship but after that Lewis was hostile and uncommunicative toward Lewis.
- Lewis lowered Taylor's performance rating and cited the reporting of abuse as a reason.
- Taylor complained of retaliation to the CPS.
- While Taylor was on an approved leave of absence, he was mistakenly accused of being AWOL and the retaliation investigation was concluded without interviewing him.
- Another investigation was conducted accusing Taylor of making false allegations of child abuse.
- While Taylor's mother was dying, a predisciplinary hearing was conducted. Lewis also sought to discipline him for excessive absences.
- Taylor later broke up a fight in a classroom and injured his back. He was taken away in an ambulance. CPS sought disciplinary action for negligently failing to supervise students.
- Taylor took a leave of absence for his back injury and when he returned Lewis assigned him "menial" work.
- When Taylor injured his back again breaking up a fight in the playground, he was again falsely accused of being AWOL.
Taylor is seeking, among other things, reinstatement and back pay.
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Posted in: News by SoulRiser on January 16, 2010 @ 6:37 PMTags: School, Teachers, Youth Rights
2 Responses to “Teacher fired for reporting child abuse, sues school”
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Unjust! this is evidence that schools that enforce corporal punishment don't want smart people that can actually do the right thing and report it to the people who can solve it, especially if they are a witness to school child abuse. The school officials who did the child abuse should be charged with being AWOL and put in jail. If there was another witness, they should have given the court an affidavit right away. What is this world coming to?!
I too went thruough the same thing. I turned in a co-worker, and new teacher for bullying severally mentally impaired students. From that point I was continously harrassed by co-worker, new teacher in class, and supervisor. I faced multiply false accusations and repremands until I was coeherssed into leaving. The real loser here is the students, whom had to endure her mistreatment. Karma will come around.