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Facebook case: Deposition reveals Barrow didn’t know e-mail source

7:10 am January 22, 2010, by Maureen Downey

Many of you have been asking me about the fate of Ashley Payne, the Barrow County high school teacher who lost her job over her Facebook page and whose experience sparked a national debate about Internet privacy, anonymous e-mails and teacher rights.

One of the Facebook photos that a "parent" complained about in an anonymous e-mail

One of the Facebook photos that a "parent" complained about in an anonymous e-mail

The legal case is proceeding. Ashley Payne’s lawyer just deposed the principal and assistant principal. She is fighting to get her job back.

I asked attorney Richard Storrs if Barrow ever traced the source of the incriminating e-mail that led to Payne being called in by her principal in August and told to consider resigning rather than face losing her teaching license. Under that pressure, the 23-year-old UGA honors graduate says she felt she had no recourse but to resign – a mistake according to veteran teachers.

Here is what Storrs told me this week:

“We took depositions of the principal and assistant principal last week. The principal basically admitted to the thrust of our case–that he suggested resignation to Ashley, that he failed to advise her fully on what was happening, and that they had no idea where the email came from, or whether or not it was from an actual parent.”

This confirms my original conviction that the anonymous e-mailer who protested Payne’s Facebook photos of drinking wine and beer in Europe and her status update of playing “bitch bingo” was an adult friend or fellow teacher with a grudge against her rather than an outraged parent with a legitimate beef.

The system acted on the anonymous e-mail – and acted within two hours of reading it. The Facebook photos were standard tourist shots in European beer gardens and cafes and “bitch bingo” is a popular game played at an Atlanta bar/restaurant. There was nothing offensive about either, and there was no other evidence that Payne had permitted students to view her Facebook page.

To read background on this bizarre case, please see my earlier blogs by going to the Facebook listing in the categories index on right side of the page.

This entire episode hinges on the oddly written and unsigned e-mail, which charged that Payne was allowing students access to her Facebook page. Payne said that was impossible since she had tight privacy settings and had never “friended” a student.

When I obtained a copy of the outraged e-mail that purported to be from a parent, I immediately felt that it was a fraud and that another teacher had written it. (I explain why in earlier blogs, but it was partly the stilted language and weird references. The e-mail is in the blogs.)

In my interviews with Barrow, I was stunned to find out that the system never confirmed that the e-mail – which came from a dummy e-mail address – was really from a parent. Barrow had no idea who sent it when I interviewed the communications director, yet district officials were willing to accept its allegations as fact.

When I reported that information in the AJC, it set off a national firestorm of protest, as well it should. I think teachers are entitled to have Facebook pages, and I think school systems — or any employers — are on shaky grounds responding this quickly and aggressively to an anonymous e-mail without a shred of confirming evidence. I think Payne became a national story because so many people have Facebook pages, especially younger workers, and they saw great injustice in this case. (A small number of folks don’t agree, saying teachers should not post photos of themselves ever with alcohol and there is no real privacy on Facebook.)

The school district’s failure to document that the e-mail was authentic didn’t make any sense to me because Barrow initially told me that Payne’s main offense was sharing her Facebook page with a student. Yet, they never confirmed that a student ever saw the page, so why did they act so quickly on this matter?

I also talked to the head of the Professional Standards Commission, the state’s governing body over teacher conduct. He told me his office would not have responded to an anonymous e-mail, even though Payne’s boss told her that it was likely the PSC would strip her of her teaching license if the complaint came before it. The principal then suggested to Payne that resignation was a safer option for her, according to a statement provided to me by Barrow County schools.

I hope to see a copy of the recent depositions and will report back to you. I will also seek updated comment from Barrow County on this case and share that with you. I know the county is reeling from all the attention – which, unfortunately, included death threats to the principal. Police are investigating the threats, which cross a line and are insane.

But I think the county brought this unwanted and unsavory attention on itself by its actions in this case. I hope it is resolved soon for everyone’s sake, but particularly Payne who is without a job in a profession she loves and hopes to work in for many years to come.

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93 comments Add your comment

Lee

January 22nd, 2010
7:23 am

I don’t think it matters as to the source of the email. Many companies have a “hotline” that allows anyone to lodge a complaint and most allow anonymity if the complaintant so desires.

The bottom line is that this principal clearly overreacted and coerced this young lady to resign. I hope she gets everything $$$ that she deserves.

Lee

January 22nd, 2010
7:26 am

Er….complainant. Note to self, drink coffee, then post.

Teach

January 22nd, 2010
7:30 am

Maureen,
Thank you for staying on this topic. Young people in all professions can easily be intimidated by superiors and make hasty decisions. That “count to 10″ rule is so important when the end result of the quick decision is life changing. Having patience, knowing your rights, seeking advice are all important tools that more seasoned adults would do well to “teach” our young adults before they go out into the world to make their way. Still challenging to know how to react under bullying pressure but the more knowledge they have the more confident they will be to withstand the pressure.

RJ

January 22nd, 2010
8:06 am

I am glad to hear that this case is moving forward. I’m not a younger teacher, but I have a facebook account as do most of my friends. This was ridiculous!

irisheyes

January 22nd, 2010
8:16 am

Thanks for the update. From reading all of this, I do think some people should lose their jobs. If the principal took this action on his own, then he needs to be let go, and if it came from the central office, the people responsible there need to be fired. I have a feeling that this is going to cost Barrow a lot of money, and the school board needs to find out who’s responsible for bullying this teacher out of her job.

Reality Check

January 22nd, 2010
8:16 am

I’m sure all of you have heard, and probably used the term……”CYA”. That’s what this Yellow-Bellied Principal was doing…..this person should have stood up for his teacher instead of hanging her out to dry. I hope she’s successful in her pursuit of returning to her job……the principal, well….I hope he gets what he deserves. I know…..a little vindictive perhaps but……

Tweets that mention Facebook case: Deposition reveals Barrow didn’t know e-mail source | Get Schooled -- Topsy.com

January 22nd, 2010
8:19 am

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Hanako, Maureen Downey. Maureen Downey said: Update on teacher Facebook case. Deposition shows Barrow did not know who sent e-mail that started the furor. http://bit.ly/7hgQ5B [...]

mitzymy

January 22nd, 2010
8:21 am

Times have changed and parents need to realize that. Teachers of today are younger, single, and better looking than they were 40 years ago, and they mingle. The teacher in this story should have retained an attorney before she resigned. Now they are free to insert anything they want into her records and ruin her career.

GeoffDawg

January 22nd, 2010
8:25 am

This whole thing is outrageous. If teachers aren’t allowed to drink beer and wine in exotic locales, I never would’ve gotten one to marry me.

Shannon, M.Div.

January 22nd, 2010
8:28 am

She’s got an excellent case, and I hope she wins both reinstatement and some punitive damages. How embarrassing for that system, to be so clearly in the wrong and yet still fighting to be the morality police.

huh?

January 22nd, 2010
8:29 am

Today’s teachers are younger??? Better looking? I suppose schools 40 years ago were filled with old maids…

Tony

January 22nd, 2010
8:30 am

Barrow county acted in a capricious and arbitrary manner regarding the issues surrounding this situation and they must be held to account. It is disappointing that people in positions of authority are so quick to pass judgement without gathering all the facts.

Balderdash

January 22nd, 2010
8:31 am

Without fail, I discard any communication – written or otherwise – that comes to me anonymously.

Balderdash

January 22nd, 2010
8:33 am

Yes, I realize the irony that my post is made anonymously.

Paula

January 22nd, 2010
8:38 am

Perhaps it was the principal that set her up?

ga

January 22nd, 2010
8:51 am

seems to me this case has gotten curiouser and curiouser with all the attention..

Hairy Banana Reid

January 22nd, 2010
9:01 am

Throw the book at them! (pun intended)

That Guy

January 22nd, 2010
9:09 am

Once again, just another instance where “Educators”, (and I use that term loosely), have failed miserably in applying logic and common sense to a perceived problem. Where was the due diligence from the Administrators in this case?

Idiotic decisions like this makes one wonder how “school administrators’ ended up in their current positions. Here’s a WAG…..probably drinking and carousing with their peers and/or supervisors.

We’ll keep griping and complaining about our education system, yet keep electing the same codgers to our school boards that force their wills on our education system. Until systems are able to exhibit some sort of independence from that of the “company line”, things will continue to get worse.

Kelleysrightnow

January 22nd, 2010
9:17 am

As usual this comes down to common sense. Things are so out of control that everyone is worried about what will happen rather than dealing with a situation upfront. Schools preach No Tolerance, yet we have to accept everything except God in the schools. Stop the world, I think I want to get off now.

Tonya

January 22nd, 2010
9:19 am

That Guy:

ITA. As an example, Gwinnett County schools just released a list of new principals…why was the last listed the former HR Director?

Elizabeth

January 22nd, 2010
9:25 am

This is why teachers with 4 years of experience in a system in this state have “Fair Dismissal” Note: I did NOT, NOT, NOT say “Tenure:”. There was a hidden agenda from someone in power to get rid of this teacher. When my mother taught in Georgia school years ago she was once nonrenewed because the principal’s wife, with a lower degree and no experience, wanted her job. My mother had no recourse. Now teachers with fair dismissal rights have the right to a hearing and to have documentationof the evidence presented against them.They should have already had numerous warnings and letters documenting what they needed to correct and givingthem time to correct the deficiencies. It does not mean theycan’t be fired if the documentationis upheld as valid. ( This is the difference betrween tenure and fair dismissal.). It also saved me when I was accused by a student of inappropriate behavior. The student was mad because he failed my class; the investigation proved this.
Without fair dismissal rights, I would have had my career ruined by a lying studemt. Students know they can cause trouble and often do. So do parents and administrators who have hidden agendas.

My computer is giving me trouble again, so I will stop rahter than have more typos.

DeKalb Conservative

January 22nd, 2010
9:26 am

I’m glad this story hasn’t disappeared. What I don’t understand is where is the problem? Let’s go with the absolute worst case scenario this was from a parent (doesn’t look likely, but let’s humor that). My point, so who cares? Let’s then say that this image was plastered on the wall in every hall of the school. What’s the fallout?

Are kids going to start sneaking into their parent’s liquor cabinet because Ms Payne likes to drink?
Doubtful…

Are kids going to start playing bingo, ie potential gambling because Ms Payne likes to play bitch bingo?

Grow up Barrow. Be careful what you ask for in teachers. This is a school system that seems ripe for a hyphenated-American (gay-American, Jewish-American, Muslim-American) to become a teacher in this county and really shake things up.

Money Talks

January 22nd, 2010
9:30 am

She has a pretty good attorney and a solid case. She should be able to score some big dollars from this incompetent school board, which is the only lesson they will understand. Hopefully, in the next election, these morons will be voted out for wasting time and money on needless “issues.”

cmonnow

January 22nd, 2010
9:30 am

So absurd. She wasn’t doing anything illegal or immoral. Evidently he doesn’t enjoy a beer with pizza or a football game, so he thinks she shouldn’t either.

DeKalb Conservative

January 22nd, 2010
9:31 am

I think this is a fair question to ask. Do they teach evolution in Barrow County, or is that still considered a radical and unproven theory?

From everything I’ve heard about this county this sounds like a place that doesn’t pay much attention to sex education and then wonders why there are a bunch of 16 and 17 year olds shopping for maternity clothes to wear to Sunday mass.

Unjustified Major Payne

January 22nd, 2010
9:31 am

Thanks M.D., while I’m a conservative S. Baptist here in the biblebelt, I fully support this young lady and would hardly term the evidence I’ve seen as racey or inappropriate. It certainly makes a persons mind wander about whether there are other issues not brought out. I probably shouldn’t even think that way and give her benefit of doubt. But, as I said, from what I’ve heard so far I think Ms. Payne has been treated poorly. Good luck young lady. You are in our prayers.

The Dean

January 22nd, 2010
9:35 am

Furthermore, it is going to be hard for this principal to hire teachers I would imagine. As a teacher, I want to work for a principal that is going to defend me, not prosecute me.

DeKalb Conservative

January 22nd, 2010
9:37 am

Wouldn’t it be ironic if the principal of this school got busted for a DUI in the near future?

GADawgDoo

January 22nd, 2010
9:42 am

This whole SpaceBook and MyFace thing has gotten to be a self promotion vehicle with some serious consequences. The most facinating aspect of this is that a principal or his minions will act based on anonymous phone calls anywhere. This is not unique to Barrow county. The teacher is always the first to be thrown under the bus. I teach and they have tried to throw me under it for little or no cause.

Kevin

January 22nd, 2010
9:45 am

It would not surprise me if it turns out to be the principal who wanted Payne gone. Anyone experienced in a position of authority should know there are two sides to every story and nothing should be judged or decided until you have a chance to investigate BOTH sides. When it comes to the internet, nothing is ever as it seems. From reading both sides here I will judge. Either the principal is VERY naive with the internet or has a grudge against Ms. Payne.

Can anyone check to see if the principal is still waiting on the $11million to deposit into his account from the relative of a missing Ethiopian?

Pity

January 22nd, 2010
9:45 am

There was a time when some teachers should’ve gotten clearance from AA to return to their jobs, but they were not fired or bullied into resigning. I can even remember when there were rumors of teachers “going with” students, but, again, they weren’t fired. I, too, hope that Ms. Payne gets enough money to sit at home for a few years. Maybe this will teach a lesson to so-called administrators about being so gung-ho to keep teachers in line without hard evidence.

teacher

January 22nd, 2010
9:46 am

We are such a culture of extremes. I worked with a teacher who was an exotic dancer in a local establishment. No one said a thing. I have worked in two systems where teachers partied with kids and it was a pretty well-known fact. I was always surprised, but that was standard.
Then, the facebook issue arises. Why parents think that teachers are not adults who can have a drink is odd. Also, it is an invasion of privacy when the system dictates what its employees can and can’t do in the privacy of their own homes.
What needs to happen is that parents assume the responsibility of raising their kids, teaching that there is no such thing as a role model and teaching them responsible benaviors. It is interesting that so many parents are their childrens’ friends, yet hold the teachers to a different standard.

minus

January 22nd, 2010
9:50 am

As an educator, my question is why am I held to a higher standard than parents are themselves? Are you no longer allowed to have a glass of wine once you have a child? Can your child be taken away if you have a photo or two of you with alcohol in them? What about cussing? Is there someone out there to punish parents for using inappropriate language within earshot of their child? I appreciate that as an educator I am a role model for my students. In fact, I’m proud to be a positive example in the lives of my students. I just think it’s important to remember that parents are the first teachers their children will ever have. Until all parents are held to these ridiculous standards (and I’m not arguing that they should be), the standards are inappropriate for teachers as well. Honestly, this whole situation, and the trends in education generally, make every other career more appealing.

drsoul

January 22nd, 2010
9:53 am

This seems to be a very ‘heavy handed’ discrimination act… how can you discipline a teacher, who goes to extraordinary lengths to not ‘befriend’ a student socially and judge her personal civil rights outside the classroom???? how does this compare with the parents of any child that drink openly in the home and participate in the same activities???? Sure, teachers should have standards, just like parents should have and enforce standards within their own homes as to the exposure children get and are exposed to on a daily basis. This is an old song that we transfer the ‘child rearing’ to teachers and blame them, when the real problem should start at home with parents… also, I believe that this was also reported by some jealous teacher, probably because of popularity of this young lady doing her job well and being very attractive and probably trying to do the right thing, where a lot of teachers are really just content once they get their tenure, to keep the ’status quo’ from being questioned… they should seek the person out who sent this and put them on the stand…!!!!!

Bright Idea

January 22nd, 2010
9:57 am

30 year teacher here. Advice to rookies…NEVER trust an administrator to be looking out for you. They have no tenure and will chop you off at the knees if they think that is what will please their superiors or keep them off their backs.

DeKalb Conservative

January 22nd, 2010
10:00 am

@ Pity

I think you’re viewing this wrong. Ms. Payne shouldn’t need clearance from an AA problem either today, or in the past because Ms. Payne isn’t an alcoholic.

In addition, having he sue and getting enough money to sit home for a few years doesn’t come from some magic fountain, it comes from the tax payers, which this blog has extensively covered lately, are in trouble and schools already have budget shortfalls.

What I’ve seen Ms. Payne wants to be in the classroom. I think she should be and I’m sure there are many parents that would like to have their children thought by her, especially considering that she seems to live a very normal life.

Bill

January 22nd, 2010
10:03 am

Being a retired classroom educator, my opinions are:
When in the public spotlight, you have to be so very careful in what you do outside the classroom. DON’T AVERTISE YOUR PERSONAL LIFE!!!! YOU DON’T KNOW WHO IS WATCHING YOU!!! My wife who is a school administrator shows me some of her Facebook friends’ pictures who are also school administrators in the same school system. “OMG”, & “What are they thinking” when posting questionable pictures. When in doubt, don’t post incriminating pictures!!! I feel for the Barrow Co. teacher, and she was done wrong. I certainly hope Barrow Co. school system has to pay for damages they have done to this young teacher.

drsoul

January 22nd, 2010
10:22 am

As a follow up, it would seem that the school systems should prioritize their focus more on ridding the system of teachers, content and hiding behind tenure, who ARE NOT fulfilling their responsibilities fully in the classroom than worry about the social life of teachers… as long as a teacher is not hobnobbing with students and not breaking a law, then I do not believe that it is anyones business… again, to ostracize a teacher for the same thing that parents are doing is very contradictory and discriminatory…

DOE

January 22nd, 2010
10:28 am

So where do I send an an anonymous email to get the principal fired?

Meme

January 22nd, 2010
10:51 am

I am afraid that it may all come down to the fact that she wasn’t fired, but resigned. I think it was crazy for her to be asked to resign but she did.

Been There. . . Done, well. . . just done!

January 22nd, 2010
10:56 am

Maureen & other bloggers, while the Facebook aspect of the case may not be routine in ANY legal sense, the Barrow system officials “advising” Ms. Payne to resign is NOT a new tactic – having friends who teach in Cobb County, similar conduct from administrators occurred when some associates of the Bynums (among others) were running amok in the district (partly because their “advisors” held the district at bay for reasons known & not disclosed to the Cobb voting public). What may not have been discussed in this corner is the general administrative practice of “shunning” teacher associations and making certain their flyers & membership drive announcements “vanish” so as to avoid any outside organization challenging their power base. Due to the “right to work” status of this state, this practice is an underlying cancer threatening to choke off workers’ rights. Having some close to me out of work – which is Ms. Payne’s unfortunate status – this may come up during the media coverage of the legal proceedings involved. I would hope the state attorney general’s office keeps its eyes on this case – precedents will be set since Facebook & other, similar web sites will have their content marked by this situation – so OTHER state employees and those represented by workers’ associations (and that other dirty word – U-N-I-O-N-S) act swiftly to STOP some of these oligarchy-like school boards, central offices, and administrative bodies from destroying state workers’ careers and operating as though they are legitimized mafia-like agencies.

no one wins here

January 22nd, 2010
11:00 am

What is so sad is that no one is going to win here. The teacher will most likely to get the job back and some money, and she is the closest to being a winner. But, the money isn’t going to come from the principal or individual board members – it’s going to come from the system. Since they don’t have the unlimited resources, the money is going to be the money that would have gone to something else – maybe to other teachers or projects that are badly needed.

drsoul

January 22nd, 2010
11:01 am

I think that the coercion to resign should play a very significant part in this….

Bill

January 22nd, 2010
11:01 am

amen to Bright Idea- Your are so right!!!!!

anonymous

January 22nd, 2010
11:09 am

Dear AJC,

I am anonymous and would like to stay anonymous. My child reads your paper online and saw a picture you had posted of a woman smiling with two alcoholic drinks in her hand. This clearly implies that to be happy you must drink. You have scared my child’s psyche and adulterated his conscious. Please fire everybody for putting this picture on your site. Everyone else on the internet behaves themselves, why can’t you AJC? Why can’t you? Smiling suggestive young hussies with alcohol in their possion is pornographic!!!

Fire everybody. I am copying this letter to the Fulton County DA and the GBI.

Have a terrible day you immoral people.

That Guy

January 22nd, 2010
11:12 am

Bright Idea,

That’s very good advice for all if you think about it.

drsoul

January 22nd, 2010
11:14 am

You are a sick comedian anonymous…!!!!

Uncle Commode

January 22nd, 2010
11:16 am

This is a complete waste of time and money. Normally teachers accused of an indescretion are at fault…NO DOUBT. But look at that picture of Ashley Payne. Quite a lovely young lady I would say!

And this being the case these trumped up charges should be dismissed immediately. Its WAY PAST TIME for society and the ugly people to realize we, the beautiful people, come with a whole host of entitlements that simply arent available to the common working/ugly Amercian.

We the beautiful people are the movers and shakers, the annointed ones, the productive ones, the entitiled ones, the CHOSEN ONES and all you ugly people best begin to show us the respect and honor to which we are entitled. Move your big oversized behind mouthbreathers need to move out of our sight and stop breathing our air.

So please ugly people face the cold hard facts. We are smarter, prettier, more handsome, more likable, better looking, better drinkers, better partyers and in general better everything than you. I know these words may be hurtful to some, however and in this case, honestly is the best policy.

Now ugly people…please move along…Thank you.

MOVE IT OR LOSE IT!!

Snoopermom

January 22nd, 2010
11:29 am

I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that it was the principal who actually sent the anonymous email, a scheme to get her to resign for some reason.

Ricardo Cabeza

January 22nd, 2010
12:44 pm

Can you imagine the increased furor if the anonymous e-mail had also said ” . . .and she touched me inapropriately once” or soemthing to that effect. The poor woman would be rotting in jail now too! All it takes is one student with a grudge to ruin not only the career but the ENTIRE LIFE of any teacher in Georgia. Disgraceful.

phoenix falcon

January 22nd, 2010
1:02 pm

@Balderdash

Ditto

uberVU - social comments

January 22nd, 2010
1:05 pm

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by AJCGetSchooled: Update on teacher Facebook case. Deposition shows Barrow did not know who sent e-mail that started the furor. http://bit.ly/7hgQ5B…

Pity

January 22nd, 2010
1:22 pm

@Dekalb Conservative, you misunderstood my reference to AA. I was not implying that Ms. Payne is an alcoholic. I was reminiscing about the stuff that teachers did during my days as a student–stuff that were far worse than what Ms. Payne did (well, to me, she didn’t do anything wrong), but they didn’t get punished for their deeds. Basically, what I was saying what that this poor woman has been punished for something so trivial while past teachers have gotten away with far worse.

teacher/parent

January 22nd, 2010
1:29 pm

@Bill-What was ‘incriminating’ about Ms. Payne’s photos?

@Kevin-I thought the money was supposed to come from Nigeria.

MS resident

January 22nd, 2010
1:30 pm

this is a bunch of bull crap,we all are human beings and what we do outside of our job is our business,there is no crime in going out and having a good time,MS.Payne keep your head up and sue the school board thats discrimination of character..

Chas

January 22nd, 2010
2:07 pm

I have to believe the school was trying to get rid of this teacher, did not have the case to do it, and so used this flimsy excuse to push her out. Surely, no competent administrator would think they should/ could fire someone over something so ridiculous – even in the bible belt. I say that as a retired administrator. We would not have even tried this 30 years ago…

Ray

January 22nd, 2010
2:18 pm

Cases like this are great for smearing education, thus allowing ourselves to feel better about not funding it properly. The year after next, when the fed stim money is gone, the bottom is going to fall out of public school in Georgia. It’s really kinda weird that a culture that beats it’s chest so hard about ‘heritage’ would be so proficient at neglecting it’s kids.

RJ, Montgomery, Alabama

January 22nd, 2010
3:17 pm

Having lost a position because my boss just didn’t like me, I pray that all and everything Ms. Payne lost is restored with interest and some. I just don’t believe the FBI can’t trace the origin of the e-mail, that I will never believe. As long as Ms. Payne moral turpitude is not in question what’s the big deal, she appears to be drinking responsibly, meaning she isn’t sprawled out on the floor with her goodies exposed. Call me when you find out who the back stabbing witch was who set up Ms. Payne, I want to see what that pig looks like, I bet she looks like a pig.

RJ, Montgomery, Alabama

January 22nd, 2010
3:36 pm

What is really irresponsible and that is why I want him fired is the principal not explaining to Ms. Payne her rights, due process or suggesting that she get a lawyer. There are so many problems with public education but Ms. Payne is not one of them. The reason the principal has to be fired because as an employee it is not his job to create a liability for his employer, they don’t pay you for that. Re: the principal, he may have a patronage job that he himself did not earn. Just because you have a college education doesn’t mean you know everything, look at my kids.

Widespread

January 22nd, 2010
4:35 pm

This is just the tip of the iceburg. Check the records for the number of teachers who have “resigned” from Cobb County School District and you will see that many teachers are bullied into resigning rather than risking being fired. Many administrators and individuals at the district office encourage teachers to resign who do not need to. Administrators craft lies to give teachers the impression that the state will frown upon various actions only for it to be lies.

Maureen, the open records act will allow the AJC to access information. That is your next story. Look into it.

To Mitzymy

January 22nd, 2010
4:46 pm

Unfortunately it takes time to retain an attorney. Also a retainer must be paid before many ( if any) services are rendered. What school districts do to “encourage” a teacher to resign is that the teacher is given a very short deadline. If the teacher does not issue a letter of resignation by the deadline date (by the end of the day) they will fire her. Also, she better cover her own A** by sending the letter certified with a return receipt. There have been cases when they “didn’t receive” the letter. Hmmmm!

Echo

January 22nd, 2010
5:37 pm

I would’ve let ‘em fire me. Then they have to pay unemployment and hope they don’t get sued for wrongful termination. This still looks like a pretty good case as there appears to be a significant lack of intelligence displayed by the administrator (what’s new?). Hopefully this situation works out ok.

PsychMom

January 22nd, 2010
5:47 pm

There are so many things wrong with this situation that I don’t even know how to comment.

Middle Aged Man

January 22nd, 2010
6:38 pm

As a school administrator, it really bothers me to my core that there are so many stories of principals behaving badly like this. I agree wholeheartedly that a proper investigation was not done, that the young teacher should have been supported by the principal until a thorough fact finding mission had been done, and that it is the responsibility of the principal to inform his teachers, especially new college graduates, of their rights in the work place. As an administrator, I go to bat for my teachers, try to protect them from as much superflous work/paperwork/etc. that comes from the county office down to them, and try to make sure they know all of their rights in all situations. I have had to non-renew and dismiss teachers for incompetence, poor teaching, and poor job performance and it is a the hardest thing to do, especially when you know a family or mortgage payment is at the other end of the dismissal. I post all of the GAE, PAGE, or NEA mailings and announcements that come in the common work room and encourage my teachers to be a part of these organizations to keep themselves informed. It is frustrating and disheartening that so many teachers on this blog have stories of abuse. It is frustrating that these experiences make it so that all adminstrators are thrust into the same pile. I hope that the principal in this case, if there are no other extenuating facts that are kept out of the public eye, is removed from the position.

Ernest

January 22nd, 2010
7:25 pm

Well said, Middle Aged Man! This is an unfortunate situation that some will use to paint a broad brush of all administrators.

majii

January 22nd, 2010
7:30 pm

I worked in Barrow County, and I believe the incident occurred exactly the way Ms. Payne described it. Barrow is a small town, and it only takes one prominent member in the community to remove a teacher from the classroom.

catlady

January 22nd, 2010
7:37 pm

Lee: many companies but not the Georgia school systems. If you make a complaint to the PSC about an administrator, for example, you will be drawn and quartered with no real protection. Or so says the attorney hired by my system to “educate” the teachers of what we could do to get in trouble.

Disgusted

January 22nd, 2010
7:43 pm

Widespread is so right! Around 140 teachers here in Hall County were told to resign or be nonrenewed here last year. They were told by the principals, on orders from central office, that if they resigned they would have the possibility of being hired back at some point but if they did not resign they would not be hired back. All these teachers were nontenured. The county has a reduction in force policy but chose not to follow it and make the cuts in this underhanded way. The school superintendent was quoted in the paper as saying all the cut teachers were ineffective and that is why they were chosen. He later tried to back up over that when he was called out on it, saying that some of them may have been good folks. Very few of these teachers had anything nut good evaluations. Their main problem was they were easy targets because they were not yet tenured in the system.
Is this the way to treat people?

Disgusted

January 22nd, 2010
7:49 pm

Filtered!

Disgusted

January 22nd, 2010
7:55 pm

PSC will not accept a complaint unless signed. Then they will normally send it back to the school system to look into. Even if your complaint is acted on you are most likely toast at some point down the road.

bp

January 22nd, 2010
8:08 pm

stay off facebook duh

Been There

January 22nd, 2010
9:00 pm

Typical, of chicken #### school administrators.

C'mon This is the 21st Century

January 23rd, 2010
12:28 am

Students see Viagra commercials and much worse than that photo on TV. We even had a liar and cheater more than once as our president. Yet the photo of the teacher holding a glass gets her fired/asked to resign?…it’s ridiculous. It’s not like she came into work drinking, hung-over, doing drugs, or brandishing a weapon or something worth losing her job over. Good Lord… Kids are now taught to except things like homosexuality as being OK while the 10 commandments and God…things this country was founded on aren’t allowed to be posted anymore because they might offend someone. It is all a bunch of BS. Americans are not even a distinguishable society anymore. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave? It is more like the land of rules, idiocy and excuses. It makes me want to become empowered just so I can defend the rights of the American people. But look at what has happened to the true American Heritage over the years. We let anyone and everyone come into our country and then fret over things that might offend these foreign people in our country while punishing our own people for offending them. It’s a shame. We get attacked on our own soil now thanks to the rights of foreigners in OUR country. I’m not saying all of these people are bad…I am saying this is OUR land, OUR country but we have given it away. What would our forefathers think of it now? This ludicrous stuff here is a result of zero tolerance? It is a terrible shame. Honestly it would be like an American moving to Russia and trying to change their language to English. I say if the teacher isn’t at work they have a right to dance naked in their yard and have shots drank of their body if they want to. Their Facebook page is their business. What she does away from her job isn’t her employer’s business as long as it is legal and doesn’t harm anyone. If I saw my teacher out having a drink so what? I’d think they were human. Does a teacher have the right to be homosexual? As long as they don’t impose it on anyone else and are doing their job…I could care less what they do outside of it even if I don’t agree with it.

double g

January 23rd, 2010
10:40 am

What about the thought that the teacher resigned in haste, rather than being coerced, regretted her decision, and now files suit to get her job back? All we’ve heard is the teacher’s side, right? Why haven’t we heard anything from the school’s side, since all this started? Seems to me the teacher’s lawyer is playing this out in public. We’ve heard one side, but not the other. I’ll let the court of public opinion not sway me, until the real court, with our without a jury, decide.

Maureen Downey

January 23rd, 2010
11:00 am

double g, We have heard from the school system. It was the school system that provided me with the written statements of the principal and assistant principal and gave me the copy of the e-mail. The system issued several other statements and I have spoken to the system spokeswoman several times and exchanged many e-mails. In those official statements from the school, the principal says that the teacher had satisfactory evaluations.
Not sure why you think they haven’t had a chance to speak. Maureen

Georgia is full of retards

January 23rd, 2010
11:01 am

Anyone with any sense at all can see the principal and the vindictive, petty haters in Barrow County have stepped in it.

This is a fine example of the lack of judgement and intelligence in rural Georgia.

I’m looking forward to the huge settlement coming to Ms. Payne. I hope she’ll use a few cents of it to buy some champagne and post the celebration pictures on her Facebook page along with a single-fingered salute to the principal and the haters.

to middle aged man

January 23rd, 2010
11:53 am

Middle aged man- If Georgia had more administrators like you, we wouldn’t be a bottom ranking state. Teaching conditions, whether people like to admit it or not, affect the delivery of instruction.

The best way to improve education is to improve teaching conditions. We also wouldn’t be reading stories how administrators intimidated someone to resign over something as ridiculous as this.

Look before I leap

January 23rd, 2010
1:04 pm

I think there is a larger issue that is not being discussed and that is the politicalization of the public school system. Can someone tell me WHY we elect the members to the county school boards? Why do we not hire educated, experienced and thoughful professionals to the boards? Why do we put some nincompoop into power whose only credentials are they managed to get some signatures and pony up a few bucks for yard signs? News stories thoughout the country are full of idiotic actions and policies being perpetrated by school board dolts that seem to be driven by 18th century thinking.
By way of personal anecdote, I can’t help but think that Barrow county would have burned my high school gymnastics teacher at the stake for bumming a smoke from me once and dropping the f-bomb during a round of golf.

j nes

January 23rd, 2010
1:15 pm

An interesting side note: Barrow county forces the resignation of a teacher for drinking legally, while at the same time celebrating the county’s “rich” history of the illegal production and consumption of moonshine. Please see the story below from wrdw news 12.

December 31, 2009

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — Officials in Winder say they expect hundreds of people to be crowded around the old Barrow County jail to celebrate the new year with the city’s inaugural Jug Drop.

Barrow County Historical Society members finished last-minute preparations Wednesday for the Jug Drop, which will conclude with the dropping of a clay jug from the hanging tower of the jail.

The Jug Drop is designed to draw attention to the more colorful parts of Winder’s history. Winder was founded as Jug Tavern in the early 1800s and developed a reputation over the years for its moonshine.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

j nes

January 23rd, 2010
1:23 pm

These people in Barrow County are backwards, forcing the resignation of a teacher for legal alcohol consumption, while at the same time celebrating the county’s “rich” history of illegal alcohol production and consumption of moonshine. See the article below from wrdw news 12.

December 31, 2009
WINDER, Ga. (AP) — Officials in Winder say they expect hundreds of people to be crowded around the old Barrow County jail to celebrate the new year with the city’s inaugural Jug Drop.
Barrow County Historical Society members finished last-minute preparations Wednesday for the Jug Drop, which will conclude with the dropping of a clay jug from the hanging tower of the jail.
The Jug Drop is designed to draw attention to the more colorful parts of Winder’s history. Winder was founded as Jug Tavern in the early 1800s and developed a reputation over the years for its moonshine.

Picture me

January 23rd, 2010
2:28 pm

This has been said time after time. Be careful what you place on the internet. A picture can say a lot. Employers are going to these websites just to see potential employee’s facebook and my space page. It only takes one person allowed in as friend. Ashley is in a profession that we must always be the example to our children. The picture is what it is. That picture showed her holding a wine glass. What is displaying to our children. “It’s cool to drink wine” The schools teach children to “Say No to Drugs and Alcohol” Don’t you think that picture may go against the school’s policy? This was a learning experience for her. Ashley is only 23 years old. She will bounced back from this and be a great educator. She is destined for greatness.

Look before I leap

January 23rd, 2010
4:00 pm

@Picture me
So if I read your post correctly, it is ok that this young woman was fired from her job and branded a bad influence on children by some coward. If she is such a great educator as you state, then why would you think it is ok to have her dismissed from her job? Even assuming for the moment that as an example, she should not have that picture posted (and I don’t agree with that for one moment), why not simply ask her to remove the picture from her Facebook page? Why coerce her to leave her job?
So just for yucks would you feel the same if you were forced from your job by someone unknown to you for doing absolutely nothing wrong, immoral or illegal? I am sure it would be fine with you because you are “destined for greatness”. Sheesh, what an absolutely moronic, judgemental and cowardly post.

To Disgusted

January 23rd, 2010
4:19 pm

I, Widespread was one of the ones in Cobb given an option to resign. The State Department of Education should do an investigation. I guarantee that if they did I (and many others) would show up to sign a petition for an investigation to be opened. Furthermore, I would bring all of the documentation that I have that supports the fact that I was forced out. By the way, I was not tenured either. When you have information that came directly out of the horse’s mouth it cannot be disputed. Recordings and hand written notes are hard to deny in court.

j nes

January 23rd, 2010
5:59 pm

Barrow County is backwards. This same county that seems to have no tolerance for an adult legally consuming alcohol just rang in the new year with a “Jug Drop” celebrating the county’s rich history of illegal moonshine production. Classy.

http://www.wrdw.com/homeandfamily/headlines/80408302.html

Disgusted

January 23rd, 2010
6:04 pm

Widespread, the problem is no one will look in to it. There are hundreds of teachers this has happened to and no one cares enough to listen.

Widespread

January 23rd, 2010
7:58 pm

Disgusted, it is a shame that someones career can be derailed falsely and there is no recourse. Over time, teachers will leave the profession completely because the battle becomes too great. Mortgage companies and families do not want to hear how you have been framed, yet it seems to be happening at the hands of school districts too often. Evidently, we educators are not under the same Code of Ethics.

Even on the state level nothing is being done. Cathy Cox is aware because many have complained to her. It may be time to consider going federal. Someone somewhere, with enough clout, needs to get a backbone and do more than blow hot air. My Mama used to say that everyone cannot be telling the SAME lie. There is truth to widespread teacher abuse. It seems that this pattern of abuse is not partial to any one district either.

teach ss

January 23rd, 2010
9:31 pm

I found some of the gwinnett county board of education members on facebook last week when googling their names……even though they were private, it still shows that everyone is interested in facebook and even our higher ups have accounts…..

TheDuchess

January 23rd, 2010
10:18 pm

This story truly hurts my heart. She seems like a great teacher…what the SYSTEM needs!! Yet, they are willing to get rid of her over foolishness. This is truly sad.

Anonymous

January 25th, 2010
7:50 am

This all tells me one thing… don’t “friend” your co-workers on Facebook. :(

Picture Me

January 25th, 2010
9:29 am

Look before you Leap,

No, I never said that Ashley should been dismissed from her job. As much hell that I have gone through on my job, I would have never suggested that. I would have stay in the school until my contract was up and transfered to another school district. But I really and truly believed that an educator is the most well repsected careers that anyone could ever choose. Our children look up to educators. An educator must at all times display values that are positive to our children. This is why it pisses me off when an educator does something that is really stupid and it makes the headline news. With technology, students and others can easily access peoples personal life on Facebook and My Space Page. Anybody can access it. It doesn’t take but one person to see it. I can’t say it enough “Be Careful about what you display on the Internet.”

Picture Me

January 25th, 2010
9:43 am

Anonyoumus,

You are so right. Don’t be friend co-workers at all.

Just the Facts

February 3rd, 2010
6:14 am

Maureen, as a supporter of Miss Payne I just want to say thank you for the very professional fact finding work you have done here in both your clear cut, to the point research and reporting on this matter. Everything you have proven and shown is absolutely true, keep up the good work and thank you for supporting this talented, bright young woman.

tongue tied « Lisa Angelucci

February 9th, 2010
11:09 pm

[...] quick search led me to this article about a teacher in Georgia who lost her job over a picture posted on Facebook — a photo that [...]