News
Trimble Board To Hear Second Grievance Regarding Former Coach
By: Sarah Hawley | Athens Messenger staff reporter
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The Trimble Local Board of Education is expected to hold a second grievance hearing in as many months during Tuesday’s regular meeting. The hearing is expected to address the second of two grievances filed by the Trimble Local Teachers Association on behalf of a former basketball coach.
The TLTA became involved when Curt Moore, a teacher in the district, was not hired to return as the high school’s varsity basketball coach this summer. Instead, the job was given to Howie Caldwell, a longtime coach in the area but not a teacher at the school.
The second grievance claims that the school board or its agents violated the collective bargaining agreement when anonymous letters, reports and/or communications were included in Moore’s personnel file. It also states that the agreement was violated when documents were put in Moore’s file, but not reviewed by Moore and the principal.
The second grievance states that by doing so the board violated as many as three sections of the contract between the teachers association and the board.
Supt. Kim Jones denied the grievance in a response on July 1.
Jones’ response reads in part, “Several of the records to which you object were not included in Mr. Moore’s personnel record, but instead in a file which I am advised by counsel that we are legally obligated to keep pursuant to any investigation made regarding reports of misconduct by a teacher.”
In that case, the union is seeking to have all anonymous documents, and any other documents deemed to violate the contract, removed from Moore’s personnel file.
In June, Jones and the Board denied the first grievance filed regarding the non-hiring of Curt Moore as the varsity boys basketball coach.
The first grievance alleges that Moore was passed over for the coaching position when the board instead hired Caldwell, who is outside the bargaining unit. The association states in the grievance that Moore is a qualified and certified staff member for the position.
The district has since received notice from the union that the grievance will proceed to arbitration, although no time frame for the arbitration has been released.
The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on all parties.
The TLTA is seeking to have Moore hired as the school’s head basketball coach, according to a grievance report filed on May 30 by TLTA President Christine Snoddy.