PITTSBURGH —

Jon Ross on Friday testified for the second time in the appeal of his firing from Greenville Area School District, saying he used the words “attractive” and “flirt” with the women who accused him of sexual harassment.

Ross however couldn’t remember exactly how he used those words with two of his former colleagues at Hempfield Elementary School, saying they were just a “slice of a conversation.”

The school’s attorney, Diego Correa of Pittsburgh, called on Ross and several others in day seven of testimony in front of the state Labor Relations Board, Pittsburgh.

Greenville school board members fired Ross, 48, who taught third grade, April 20 for allegedly sexually harassing his co-workers.

Ross appealed the decision, claiming he was wrongfully fired in retaliation for bringing concerns to school administrators and board members while he was president of the teachers’ union, Greenville Education Association.

Ross testified he believes his role as president in the union’s May 2008 vote of “no confidence” in school administrators contributed to his firing.

Ross, who also testified Oct. 9, described a February 2008 encounter with board President Michael Downing and then-high school Principal Dr. John Ziegler.

Ross was planning to speak at a school board meeting that month to invite the board to the third-graders’ reading program. Before the meeting, the two men came to Ross’ classroom, urging him against talking at the meeting, Ross said.

They didn’t threaten him, but Ross said he felt trapped and uncomfortable because Downing and Ziegler closed the door, briefly blocking it. Ross didn’t think the men knew what he wanted to discuss with the board.

A few days after Ross spoke at the meeting, Hempfield Elementary Principal Nancy Castor told him he needed to be more careful because he’s not like other teachers, Ross said.

He didn’t think he needed to notify her he’d be speaking to the board because he wasn’t addressing any particular issues.

Ross said he didn’t tell former substitute teacher Emily Jackson that she “must be good at something” for having a large engagement ring, as Mrs. Jackson testified Monday.

Ross did admit he used the word “flirt” in a conversation with Mrs. Jackson, with whom he said he had a long-standing relationship.

He said he had a good relationship with teacher Deanna Grantham, who also testified against him Monday. He used the word “attractive” while talking with her, saying he could only remember it as a “slice of a conversation.”

Ross denied a March 26, 2008, incident in the copy room as described by Mrs. Grantham. She said she was alone in the room when Ross entered and asked him if he need to get on, to which Ross said it depended on what she wanted him to get on, a comment Mrs. Grantham called “gross.”

In other testimony:

ä Mrs. Castor testified that Ross came to her office the day after the school board meeting where he spoke to ask if he had been the topic of the board’s executive before the meeting.

She told him he was “out of line” for talking at the meeting, and he should have told her about his plans to speak so he could have invited the board to see all of the students’ programs, not just third grade.

“I just felt a little off guard,” Mrs. Castor said.

She said she didn’t recall telling Ross he’s not like other teachers but she remembered making some comment about him having “baggage.”

The board did talk about Ross in executive session because he applied for an assistant track coach position, she said. Ross had asked Mrs. Castor for her support, but she said she wanted to stay neutral.

Mrs. Castor was at that session and someone else was hired for the position, but she couldn’t recall telling Ross if he was mentioned at that meeting.

Ross’ attorney, Todd Park of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, which works with GEA, asked Mrs. Castor to read from the Aug. 18 transcript of the appeal hearing where she first testified, when she said she and Ross had a good, professional relationship.

She then read the transcript from her testimony at the Jan. 14 hearing where Ross’ case was brought before the school board, in which she said Ross acted as if he “ran the building,” he was arrogant and had a controlling personality.

Mrs. Castor also told the school board Ross cooperated with her to some degree but could be defiant. Their relationship on the surface was good but through the harassment investigation, it wasn’t so professional, she said Friday.

Mrs. Castor finished answering questions and told hearing officer Tom Leonard that someone in the room called her a liar during her testimony.

“I don’t like to be called a liar,” she said.

Mrs. Castor didn’t know who said it, but gestured to the side of the room where Ross, his wife and parents sat. Correa asked for the person in question to be removed from the hearing, to which Leonard said he wanted to conduct a mini-hearing.

Ziegler, who was sitting on the other side of the room behind Correa and Superintendent Dr. Patricia M. Homer, testified he saw Ross’ father, James Ross, say something to his wife about Mrs. Castor being a liar.

James Ross was sworn in and said he couldn’t recall saying anything, but it must have come out because he was “dumbfounded” by Mrs. Castor’s testimony.

“My mouth must have took over,” he said.

He apologized and Leonard let him stay, but made him sit further away from his son.

ä Testimony continued with Janet Hoffman, who was Hempfield Elementary principal from 1986 until she retired in 2003. In April 2001, Ross complained to her about school employees doing work on Dr. Homer’s home, Mrs. Hoffman said.

She told Dr. Homer about it and Dr. Homer later told her the allegations were false after an investigation was conducted. Mrs. Hoffman asked Ross to apologize to Dr. Homer in writing because she believed he was trying to embarrass her.

He sent a letter of apology in June 2001 but it didn’t “meet the spirit” of what should have been a more complete apology, which Mrs. Hoffman said was “typical Jon.”

That same month, she gave Ross an unsatisfactory rating in his yearly teacher evaluation.

After Mrs. Hoffman announced her retirement in 2003, Ross approached her in the school hallway and said “One down, three to go,” she said.

ä Jeanna Green, an instructional aide in Hempfield’s technology department, testified about witnessing an incident in March 2008 between Ross and “Student X” when Ross had his class in the computer lab.

The student couldn’t solve a math problem and Ross asked him if he was stupid, Ms. Green said. Ross didn’t try to help the student, whose shoulders slouched down.

“He looked very defeated,” Ms. Green said, adding Ross often had a student he’d pick on in this nature.

Correa has another witness to call and Park plans to call on Ross again. The next hearing has yet to be scheduled.

After Friday’s hearing, PSEA spokesperson Marcus Schlegel said it was significant that the school presented testimony about “Student X” because the school board found Ross not guilty of general cruelty, willful neglect and temperance. board wasn’t specific about whether those charges were against students, teachers or both

Mrs. Castor referred to Ross’ “baggage,” but the only marks in his personnel file are the unsatisfactory evaluation and the sexual harassment complaint filed against him in 2002 by former teacher Genna Rossi, Schlegel said.

A written reprimand was put in Ross’ file for Ms. Rossi’s complaint and school officials ordered him to stop making sexually-related comments and jokes, according to Herald files.

In October 2000 Ross was found not guilty in Mercer County Common Pleas Court of indecent assault and other charges filed after a Thiel College student who was interning under Ross claimed he kissed and fondled her at his parents’ home.