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.

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