The McComb school board has upheld the firing of Higgins Middle School teacher Willie Jenkins.
Trustees voted unanimously this week to back the October 2008 firing of Jenkins, who also retired last year.
“The board voted 5-0 that it was the right employment decision that had been made by Therese (Palmertree),” school board attorney Ashley Atkinson said this morning. “They felt like he had been insubordinate.”
The vote by trustees Bettye Nunnery, Dr. Kent Kebert, Dr. Shade Quin, Eleice Rayborn and Maurice Chester was held in executive session on Tuesday.
Before the vote could be made public, the parties involved had to receive certified letters informing them of the board’s decision.
The vote followed a Tuesday night address by Jenkins’ attorney Edna Stringer and attorney Jim Keith, who represented the school district in the matter.
The board, for the first time, also heard from Jenkins, who did not specifically address the complaint against him.
Jenkins defended his family name and said it was sad that the matter had come to that point.
The 37-year educator was fired after refusing to accept an administrative reprimand or take part in an improvement plan.
Both administrative actions followed a September 2008 incident in which Higgins principal Kelli Little walked into Jenkins’ classroom and found him talking on a cell phone — prohibited during instructional time — and his students asleep.
Jenkins complained to the administration about Little’s behavior, saying the principal accused him of talking to a woman. Testimony was given that Jenkins was talking to fellow employee Brad Miller. Jenkins also accused Little of telling him to “shut up.” During testimony that stretched over several months, nobody presented evidence that they heard Little tell Jenkins to “shut up,” and she denied saying it.
Contacted at his home today, the person who answered his phone said Jenkins had no comment on the decision, which can be appealed.
Palmertree said she believes the board did the right thing in upholding Jenkins’ dismissal.
“In this age of increased accountability, a principal, director, supervisor or superintendent must be able to apply the school district’s improvement process to all employees,” she said.
