The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

May 12, 2009

Greenville teacher ends secrecy: Jon Ross calls his firing a ‘vendetta’

By Monica Pryts

GREENVILLE — Third-grade teacher Jon Ross announced Monday he is the unidentified employee who was fired April 20 by Greenville Area School Board, and he claims he was wrongfully terminated. “It’s me,” Ross said in a news release issued by the Pennsylvania State Education Association. “Let’s stop all the intrigue and get it out in the open now. It does no one, not the students, parents, community or colleagues any good to keep it a secret.” Michele Orahood, the district’s Right-to-Know officer, failed to respond to The Herald’s April 28 open records request for Ross’ name. That meant it was denied and withholding his name violated the state’s Right-to-Know law, Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel with the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, has said Ross, who is also president of the Greenville Education Association, was fired after years of successful teaching in the district, the release said “Apparently, some school board members believed every word of the superintendent (Pat Homer),” said Butch Santicola, PSEA spokesperson “In our opinion, it was nothing but a vendetta. We have no choice but to take every legal action possible to defend Mr. Ross,” he said Ross’ problems came to a boiling point last spring after the union gave a vote of “no confidence” in Superintendent Dr. Patricia M. Homer and two administrators, Santicola said As GEA president, Ross attempted to take concerns to Dr. Homer. He also told the board that district personnel used school equipment to perform work at Dr. Homer’s home during regular school hours “In our opinion, the actions of the superintendent were retaliatory,” Santicola said The union has filed charges with the state labor board against the school board, alleging Ross’ firing was an illegal, unfair labor practice. The first hearings in that matter are set for June 17 and 18 and Ross is also appealing the board’s vote to dismiss him “I am innocent and I want my job back and my name cleared. It’s just unbelievable. I am very lucky to have a support system of family, friends, co-workers and my union,” Ross said “I look forward to the time when my life can return to normalcy. I want things the way they were before this started. I did nothing to justify my dismissal. I want to teach. No educator should go through what has happened to me,” he said Ross’ prosecution and subsequent resolution will unfortunately cost taxpayers a considerable sum of money, even though it’s not the community’s fault, Santicola said Ross’ firing is not the first time he’s been at odds with the board. He was acquitted in Mercer County Common Pleas Court in 2000 of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old intern from Thiel College, Greenville, who was under his charge, according to Herald files The student, who was being mentored by Ross in 1999, testified that he kissed and fondled her at his parents’ Hempfield Township home, where he drove her on a lunch break to retrieve papers Ross denied touching her and her claims that he told her he controlled 50 percent of her college course grade. Character witnesses who testified on Ross’ behalf said he had a reputation as a truthful man.

Text Only
Local News
  • Storm blows in fast, leaves damage

    A scattered storm that started in Michigan and pulled in moisture over Lake Erie organized itself into a locally-severe storm system Sunday over Mercer County.

    May 28, 2012

  • transit Transit is once-in-a-lifetime show

    A rare celestial wonder that won’t be seen again for more than a century is set to play out before our eyes and Farrell’s resident astronomer  is giving locals a chance to get a first-hand look at a “black dawn.”

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ominous clouds Storms rumble through parts of Mercer County

    Temperatures dropped nearly 20 degrees Sunday as storms rumbled through parts of Mercer County in the afternoon and again in the evening. Some areas experienced high gusting winds during the early storms. The later storms were less windy, but dumped a lot of rain in a short span in the Shenango Valley as well as outlying areas. Temperatures are forecast for in the 90s on Memorial Day, with a chance of storms in the afternoon. Check out Sunday's Herald both in print and here for more details.

     

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Board wants pay freeze


    Sharon City School District officials are asking staff to take a wage freeze for the second year in a row to help cover a $1.9 million gap in the 2012-2013 budget in the face of further funding cuts by the state.

    May 27, 2012

  • City taps Pa. grant for downtown facelift


    The colorful flower baskets hanging in downtown Sharon are just one of the planted seeds officials hope will help the once-bustling area grow.

    May 27, 2012

  • pension graphic Pension bomb ticking for city

    The city of Sharon pays more people who don’t work there anymore than folks who still do.

    And the amount of money the city must pay to the retirees is going up about $250,000 next year, a hike that creates more problems for the cash-strapped town, City Manager Scott Andrejchak said.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Church softball league to Mormons: You’re out!

    The Grove City Area Church Softball League’s decision to exclude a Mormon team from Slippery Rock has sparked a controversy far beyond the local sandlot.

    May 26, 2012

  • Fired bus driver files lawsuit

    A Mercer County woman fired from her job as a school bus driver over a 25-year-old drug conviction filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state education official and Jamestown Area School District.

    May 26, 2012

  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012