Board of education suspends teacher

A Greenfield Middle School Teacher has been suspended without pay by the Greenfield Exempted Village Schools Board of Education after she allegedly used an expletive when addressing a student and allegedly pushed a student against a wall.

       During a special meeting held March 31, the board voted to pass a resolution to begin the procedures to terminate the three-year limited contract of Heidi Ferguson.

       According to the resolution, "On March 29, 2010, Ms. Ferguson asked a sixth grade student at Greenfield Middle School why she had done something. The student responded that she had been dared." 

Ms. Ferguson then, according to the resolution, asked the student a rhetorical question of a profane and sexual nature. "A second sixth grade student reacted to her statement by laughing; Ms. Ferguson grabbed the second student and pushed her against the wall, causing her to hit her head. She then threw a stapler at the first student."

       Greenfield Exempted Village Schools Superintendent Terry Fouch said that he could not comment on the incident, as it is a personnel matter. Ferguson, he said, has 10 days from the time she was notified of the resolution passed by the board to request a hearing before the board to address the allegations.

       Contract information for Ferguson could not be located to seek comment. A message has been left for the district's education association representative seeking comment.

       Students reported the incident to the building principal, and the assistant building principal contacted Highland County Children Services to report the allegations of physical abuse against the students, according to the resolution.

       "The grandparents and legal guardian of the second student reported the incident to the Greenfield Police Department. The police department conducted an investigation and obtained written statements from the two victims, the reporting grandparents, and five additional student witnesses. The police officer reported that all witness statements concur with the allegations described (in the resolution). The police officer further reported that a small bump was observed on the back left side of the second student's head," according to the resolution.

       The resolution stated that Fouch conducted an informal hearing with Ferguson on March 30. "Ms. Ferguson declined the opportunity to have representation at such hearing. The superintendent notified Ms. Ferguson of the charges, explained the evidence obtained, and gave Ms. Ferguson the opportunity to respond. Ms. Ferguson admitted to the Superintendent that she made the statement described above, including the expletive. She neither denied nor admitted the assault on the second student. She denied the assault on the first student. The superintendent placed Ms. Ferguson on administrative leave.

       "The board believe that such conduct constitutes good and just cause for termination," according to the resolution.

       Ferguson's contract was for the period of July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2010.

       Effective April 2, Ferguson was suspended "without pay or other fringe benefits during the pendency of the termination proceedings."