By ALICIA LEONARD
The Walton County School Board met for their first session in 2014 on Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. Absent from the meeting were Board-member Mark Davis and Walton School Superintendent Carlene Anderson.
Supervisor of Curriculum and the Instruction Department Kay Dailey sat in for Anderson during the meeting. With no opening announcements the board approved the agenda before them as well as adopting past minutes from workshops and meetings 4-0.
With no public comments forthcoming, the board moved to consent agenda items, which were approved 4-0.
Under the action agenda, the comprehensive school board policy update drew approval with a 3-1 vote with Board-member Sharon Roberts being the dissenting vote. Other agreements and contracts as well as financial summaries, personnel recommendations and facilities and construction items were approved 4-0.
One item that will come before the board at their next meeting on Jan. 21, is an item requesting the approval to schedule a hearing for suspension of Walton Middle School (WMS) teacher Harriet Hurley for charges of misconduct in office brought to the board by Anderson under Florida State Board rule 6A-5.056.
In the notice Hurley is accused of leaving an adult dining area on Nov. 20 and going into a classroom and making “embarrassing and disparaging remarks” to a student concerning her “granddaughter and an assignment.” The report then said Hurley returned to the adult dining area and discussed the incident further before coming into contact with the student again on Nov. 21, and contacting the student’s parents.
On Dec. 2, 2013, Hurley allegedly admitted to making an “unprofessional decision” during an administrative meeting, and on Dec. 18, refused to sign a recommendation by Anderson for a 10 day suspension without pay to be administered by the administration of WMS.
The request for a hearing is under section 9.1 on the Jan. 21 agenda.
