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Outrages

  

9486 in the collection  

    Teacher Who Sued District Is Fired

    Ohanian Comment: This is a weird story. I'm not on the side of a teacher who wants to kick kids out.

    David Pitone, the Philadelphia high school teacher who sued the school district in October for the right to eject unruly students from his classroom, was ejected from his job yesterday.

    During its regular meeting, the School Reform Commission - without discussing the matter - voted to terminate Pitone, 40. Pitone had taught ninth-grade computer science at Audenried High School.

    Attempts to reach Pitone last night were unsuccessful. But Sherri Bunting, who briefly joined Pitone's suit after withdrawing her son from Frankford High School due to frequent threats, was aghast at his firing.

    "I think it's an easy way of sweeping the problems under the rug, they have a knack for doing that," she said of the school district.

    School district CEO Paul Vallas referred questions to the district's law office after the meeting. District General Counsel Wendy Beetlestone said that though Pitone was formally terminated, he still is entitled to a hearing, which has been scheduled for Feb. 19.

    After that, she said, a hearing officer will issue a recommendation to the reform commission, which will then make a final ruling. Beetlestone would not discuss the reasons behind the firing.

    But a school district letter to Pitone dated Dec. 11 - a copy of which was given to the Daily News - indicates that the reform commission concurred with the recommendation of George Schuler, superintendent of the South Regional Office.

    Schuler needed six pages to lay out the district's case against Pitone. During his three-day career as a teacher, Pitone broke numerous procedures such as leaving his class unattended, Schuler wrote, and showed up late 18 of 24 days after being transferred to the South Regional Office.

    Pitone, who is a lawyer, had previously said he is being punished for exposing the district's inability to control unruly students. He said he intends to file a "whistleblower action against the school district and its agents."

    — Mensah M. Dean
    Teacher who sued district is fired
    Philadelphia Daily News
    2004-01-22
    http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/7767652.htm

    INDEX OF OUTRAGES

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