LARWILL-Following a 5-minute break, approximately an hour into Monday’s School Board Meeting, two grievances were presented to the School Board. Also in attendance were Eric Hylton of Riley Bennet Egloff LLP, a lawyer representing the Whitko Classroom Teachers Association, and Jon Mayes of Bose McKinney and Evans LLP, a lawyer advising the school board.
Though Hylton began by calling Interim Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington as a witness, Mayes insisted that Dr. Edington’s consent was needed. Hylton pointed out that as the acting Public Access Counselor for grievances and the person who had responded to the grievance prior that Dr. Edington was already an integral component involved in the situation, but Dr. Edington said he would “respectfully decline” to testify. Hylton again asked for confirmation that Dr. Edington, as the person who denied the grievance, still refused to help in resolving the situation, and Mayes affirmed this and suggested they move on to the next witness.
When Mayes tried to swear in Whitko Teacher Antimony Fox, Hylton brushed him off and said it was an unnecessary procedure. There was some argument then about following rules, and Hylton made it clear that if the school board’s lawyer had no intention of allowing integral witnesses to be called, then he would not enforce that his witness must be under oath for her statement, and that a simple agreement to tell the truth would suffice.…