SCHOOLS DIRECTOR SHOULD HAVE GIVEN BROTHER REPRIMAND

Justice was served when Stewarts Creek teacher Jay Gill was fined and
ordered to undergo two months of drug screening after being caught
with marijuana last spring.

Unfortunately, Rutherford County Schools let it drop as if nothing happened.

Not so much as a word officially emanated from Rutherford County
Schools toward the teacher, no letter of reprimand, no suspension,
and certainly no firing.

That's a shame because County Schools Director Harry Gill Jr. could
have used the incident to send a strong message about drugs and alcohol.

The issue might have been clouded by the fact that Jay Gill is the
director's brother, but, regardless of relationship, to seemingly
ignore this incident reflects poorly on the school system.

When Jay Gill was caught with a burning marijuana cigarette in his
truck last May in Smyrna, he immediately took a medical leave of
absence using sick days to pay for the time off. Then he agreed to a
diversion on misdemeanor drug possession charges in July.

He's back in class, and some parents are upset that Gill can return
to teaching with hardly any punishment. We can't blame them.

If our students are being taught to reject illegal drugs and alcohol,
then teachers must be role models. And getting caught with a lit
marijuana cigarette in a neighborhood disturbance isn't a very good
example for children.

Some parents believe Gill should have been fired for the offense,
since his reputation is in shreds.

But while misdemeanor drug possession isn't a firing offense, it does
merit a written reprimand in his file. Director Gill said he
followed state guidelines on drug and alcohol violations and didn't
punish his brother because he didn't break any rules on campus.

That argument doesn't hold water.

Based on the school system's action, it's as if Jay Gill did nothing
wrong. This isn't an issue because he's the schools director's
brother. He's a Rutherford County teacher, and he's in charge of
children for about eight hours a day.

We don't expect our teachers to be saints, and they have a right to
private lives outside of school. But when they take that job, they
shoulder a little extra responsibility, especially when their actions
cause embarrassment to the school system.

Schools Director Gill missed a great opportunity to clamp down on
this type of behavior, and the fact that his brother was involved
only exacerbated the situation, making it look like he played favorites.

Gill might have followed state and district guidelines in handling
the situation, but as the district's top administrator, he should
have done more to let teachers, students, parents and taxpayers know
that this type of behavior will not go unpunished.