ALBERTVILLE — It’s been nearly eight months since a teacher with Marshall County Schools was placed on administrative leave over alleged negative comments made in the classroom following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk last September.
According to Tim Hall, a public relations expert and career coach with Marshall County Schools, the investigation into the allegations is still ongoing.
The name of the teacher or school has yet to be released. However, parents told 1819 News that the teacher’s comments were “inappropriate” and made the students feel uncomfortable.
“The students in [the] class were really bothered by the actions of their teacher,” one parent said. “September 11th, they were supposed to be discussing the events of 9/11, and somehow he got off on Charlie Kirk and gave them a list of reasons why he hated him. Things like, he was a religious homophobe and was racist.”
Another parent said, "He said [Kirk] was an 'awful person, homophobic, racist, misogynist, spreading hate. He got upset in class when the kids stood up for Charlie and didn't agree with his opinions."
Wigley stated in September that the district was investigating the allegations and that the teacher had been removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave.
“At this time, we are not aware of any Marshall County School employee that has posted or stated anything that celebrates the death of Charlie Kirk,” she said then.
Alabama State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey sent an email to school superintendents shortly after Kirk's murder, warning that “inappropriate" and "reprehensible" posts made by some Alabama educators would be investigated.
After nearly eight months, the public is still seeking answers.
Asbury High School principal Clay Webber, who is also running for superintendent against Wigley, criticized her handling of the situation.
“This situation reflects a serious breakdown in leadership, accountability, and transparency of Marshall County Schools. The citizens of Marshall County deserve better,” Webber told 1819 News. “When a teacher has been on administrative leave for nearly eight months with no clear communication, it raises real concerns, not only about the use of taxpayer dollars, but also about fairness to the employee and the impact on students who have gone without a certified teacher for much of the school year.”
He said placing accused teachers on extended leave has become a pattern in the school system, adding that it was unfair to the staff and the public.
“Our employees deserve to be treated with fairness and due process. In America, individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Placing employees on indefinite leave without a timely resolution undermines trust in the system and creates uncertainty across the entire school district. Sadly, this seems to be a pattern in Marshall County Schools this year, as there have been multiple employees placed on administrative leave indefinitely with no updates to the employees, administrators, or the public.”
Webber said things would be different if he were superintendent.
“The process would be clear, consistent, and timely. First, a thorough investigation would begin immediately. These situations must be handled with urgency while ensuring all facts are gathered accurately and professionally. Once the facts are established, decisions should be made promptly, based on board policy, the Educator Code of Ethics, and all applicable state and federal laws.”
Webber said the accused should have the opportunity to present their side of events to the board, and that the public should be kept informed of the process as much as possible.
“Investigations should not drag on indefinitely. While every case is different, the expectation would be a swift and efficient process that respects both the seriousness of the allegation and the rights of the employee,” he said.
1819 News reached out to the third candidate in the superintendent’s race, Stephanie Wisener, to comment on the situation. However, we did not receive a response in time for publication.
Without commenting on the specifics of the situation in Marshall County, Alabama Board of Education member Wayne Reynolds spoke broadly about how the suspension process should balance the accused’s right to due process with the community’s need for transparency.
“I will just say, without any specifics about any case, that a suspension is usually to allow appropriate due process,” Reynolds told 1819 News. “Due process involves both the rights of the accused and the rights of the school system and/or whoever's accusing them. And any prolonged suspension isn't fair to the public because this person's being paid without having to work. In my experience, a suspension usually results in a timeline for the specific objective to resolve that suspension."
Reynolds said that, absent written regulations on the duration of administrative leave, school systems should be guided by “common sense” and what is fair to the public.
“In my opinion, I would never want to pay an employee to stay home and not work,” he said. “But I also would not want to have anything hanging over my school system about an accusation that didn't really get resolved, so the public could have confidence in the way I ran the school system, or the way we run school systems statewide. The only thing that really solves questions is openness, sunlight cures a lot of speculation… The due process affects both the one accused and the public who sees someone being paid without fully explaining what they're being punished for.”
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