Board votes to accept charges lodged against Robbins teacher-coach

November 17, 2005

HUNTSVILLE — By a 6-0 vote with one member absent, the Scott County Board of Education voted Thursday to approved the suspension of a tenured teacher at Robbins Elementary School on charges leveled by Director of Schools Mike Davis.

Byron Scott Harvey, a teacher-coach a Robbins, was suspended in September in connection with an alleged incident which occurred involving a fellow instructor and her husband — an incident which resulted in a 45-minute lock-down at the school.

Since the alleged incident occurred for which Harvey was suspended, Davis has been conducting an investigation, which concluded Thursday by bringing formal charges against Harvey for “unprofessional conduct and conduct unbecoming a member of the teaching profession.”

Harvey, who was present at the board’s monthly meeting but did not speak, now has 30 days in which to decide whether or not to challenge the board’s vote by calling for a hearing for reinstatement.

In a related matter, the board had earlier set Thursday, Nov. 17, as the date of a teacher’s grievance hearing filed by Harvey against Director Davis, also apparently stemming from the September incident which resulted in his suspension.

Earlier in the meeting, several Robbins-area residents rose one by one to address the board regarding Harvey’s dismissal, with most—if not all—apparently being in favor of his reinstatement.

One of those to speak out was Sam Storey, who expressed his concern about what the incident had done to Robbins Elementary School children, asking the board to take action and not let this continue to “be a cloud that hangs over the school.” Storey added that “We don’t think things have been done like they should have been done.”

Connie Duncan, a Robbins teacher and parent of a student at the school, said she agreed with Storey’s comments and added that she was concerned about the way the lock-down was handled and the fact that it was at the time called “a practice lock-down.”

Others speaking out were: David Griffith, who called the action taken “totally one-sided;” Charles Goad, who identified himself as pastor of the Lighthouse Church of God, asked the board “Why one [teacher] is still there” and another one suspended; and Terry Lay, father of three Robbins Elementary students, who argued that the “kids should have an input” in the dismissal of a teacher, and also questioned why one teacher was retained and another dismissed.

Prior to formally lodging charges against Harvey before the board, Director Davis explained that the reason that the board members were not involved in the investigation which followed the incident—and therefore unable to discuss it at board meetings—is that if they concurred with his findings, they would, in all likelihood, eventually have to set in judgment on the matter at a hearing.

In other business Thursday night, the board:

• Voted to approve on first reading a child abuse and neglect policy as recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association;

• Approved special courses in American History (The American Civil War: Home & Abroad), and ACT Preparation & Technology Intervention, as recommended by Scott High Principal Sharon Wilson;

• Voted to waive the deadline of March 1 for Rebecca Rector to participate in insurance benefits being offered;

• Approved a Tennessee School Boards Association policy maintenance agreement at a cost of $2,250;

• Approved the appointment of board members Rodney West, Jake Sharp and David Marlar to a Bus/Transportation Committee;

• Accepted the audit submitted by Dennis Jeffers, CPA, for the School’s Activity Fund;

• Voted to continue to participate in the Charter Group School System program to protect the members schools at a cost of $3,000;

• Set the date and time of Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. to hear a grievance filed by Robbins teacher-coach Scott Harvey; and,

• Voted to allow the director of schools to get a cost estimate from Attorney Chuck Cagle to represent the board in an upcoming teacher suspension hearing, and bring it back to the board for further action.

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