Wednesday, July 12, 2006

injustices

A while back I wrote a little about my dad getting fired, but there have been several updates to the story and many further insults to my dad and family. The latest occurrence is that they assigned my dad a teaching schedule that includes only classes he has never taught before. This means he must significantly prepare for each class period instead of using materials he had built up through the years. Why are they doing this? So that my dad gets frustrated and leaves the school.

Is my dad a bad teacher? No. He is a good teacher who has always been liked by students. Was he a bad coach? Definitely not. In my opinion he was one of the best the school has ever seen. And not just because of the winning seasons and state championships, although there were those. What my dad did was to instill teamwork and a sense of family. He was a friend, and he helped young kids build self-esteem. He truly cared about the students. In short, my dad’s many designations of Nevada 3A coach of the year have always been well deserved. I just read a small tribute to my dad found here (By a rival school no less). The story nearly brought tears to my eyes and angered me anew.

My dad is two years away from retirement and has been at MVHS for around 30 years, and this is how they repay him for everything he has done for Moapa Valley High. I believe the man who helped cause all this (he is also my mom's direct boss), along with the principal of the school deserve to be fired. In fact, I wish I were living in Moapa Valley right now, because you can believe I would be causing all kinds of problems for the school, including finding my father a lawyer and suing the school district's pants off.

I really would. There are several illegal things they have done during this whole debacle. When they fired my dad from his coaching position, they hired a new coach to take his place. However, the subject the new coach teaches (Social Studies, I believe) was already well taken care of by other teachers. How could they justify hiring another teacher of the same subject? Well, somehow they surplussed another teacher, which means she had to find a position elsewhere. Illegal. She hired a lawyer and is suing the district. Forcing my dad to have a crappy schedule just so he’ll quit? I did some research, and it basically falls under the category of age discrimination. Also illegal. Then there was the firing itself, which did not follow CCSD rules. I think he has a case.

I would love nothing more than seeing the responsible parties get fired from their positions, but I don’t see that happening. The teachers of MVHS signed a petition and sent it to the school district, in part because they support my dad but also because NO ONE is happy with the administration of the school, asking for a change in the administration. The county didn’t even respond.

The whole thing is just wrong. I want to see justice done. I want my dad to stop being slapped in the face and get the recognition he deserves.

3 comments:

Steve said...

I say it is time to wield the sword of justice. I know a PLETHORA of employment law attorneys and can offer my services/advice in helping you. You need to file legal action against the school/board, the County and file complaints/suit with the EEOC in the State. What happened to your father is wrong. You also need to look at the statute of limitations in this too. You have 2 or 3 years (I dont know what Nevada's SOL is -- each state differs) to file suit from the time your Dad was wrongfully terminated.

This story reminds me of what EXACTLY happened to my Dad who was whisked away from SRP after 24 years of faithful, perfect service. I won't go into much detail but his termination was the subject of chicken-sh** small town politics and blatant age discrimination. What made it worse was that my Dad was completely embarrassed to go anywhere in Town because he became blackballed and it was hard to face others because half the Town worked for SRP. That time was a true test to see who REAL FRIENDS were, and funny, NO ONE in that Town came to my Father's aide as a repayment for the good he did and service he rendered to make people's lives better during his tenure at SRP. Now, my parents have moved and are 1,000% more happier than they ever were in that cesspool, rat infested town of St. Johns. What a joke. So, ever since my Dad being terminated, I have made a personal vow to wreak havoc, revenge and all Hell on Bill "Spineless Gutter Trash" Beck, Chris "Porno King" Chavez and Gloria, the "Wham Bam, thank you sir" HR Dir. at SRP. Whether or not my revenge and unholy justice is vested through legal action, I will not peacefully rest until vengeance is mine. And as God as my witness, you can bet your last dollar IT WILL HAPPEN.

Anyways, I apologize for the rant but I can relate to your feelings. That is my advice is to consult an Employment/Labor attorney in Nevada and ask them what your legal options are.

Good luck with everything. Let me know what happens!!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Steve, you need to consult an Employment Atty in NV, before the Statute of limitations expires, which is usually 2 years from the date of the incident. I would also reccomend that your dad keep track of how he is being treated, there is nothing that serves litigation better than good documentaion (if that's the route you choose to go)

As far as black-balling, that is absolutly illegal.

Your dad might just consider taking an early retirement, it might not be so bad, and if he does not, well, it's only 2 more years. I don't say that casually, but I know what it feels like to teach a subject in which you feel like you have no experience.

I hope your dad makes the most of it, I know he he will. :)

Abel Keogh said...

I liked the article on your dad. He sounded like a great coach. Sorry to hear he's no longer doing what he loves.