Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 13, 1993 TAG: 9303130318
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By Associated Press
DATELINE: KING AND QUEEN LENGTH: Medium
EX-TEACHER FILES SUIT OVER FIRING
A former elementary schoolteacher has filed a $1 million lawsuit alleging she was fired after refusing to participate in cheating on state Literacy Passport tests.Rhoda-Jo Stress, who taught at King and Queen Elementary School from 1989 to 1992, names the county School Board, Superintendent Lloyd A. Hamlin and Principal Charles Shipp Sr. as defendants in her suit.
Hamlin, Shipp and School Board Chairman Francis E. Chandler declined to comment Friday on the suit, which was filed Thursday in Circuit Court. They said they had not seen the lawsuit.
Hamlin said the decision not to renew Stress' contract last year was made before she voiced her suspicions about cheating.
Stress, who taught seventh-grade mathematics and science, alleges she was slandered and libeled after she refused to improperly alter students' records, complained that papers were missing from students' files and questioned procedures used in preparing students for standardized testing.
The suit alleges students were repeatedly taken out of Stress' class to be coached for an upcoming Literacy Passport test in violation of state regulations. This resulted in her class being "poorly and sporadically attended," the lawsuit said.
According to the lawsuit, Shipp allegedly took some of Stress' students to another teacher who provided altered test answers for students to copy in their own handwriting.
The lawsuit also alleged that Shipp falsely told parents Stress' contract was not renewed because she was not certified to teach in Virginia elementary schools.
In the court action, Stress also alleged another teacher was fired after confronting Hamlin with the disparity in the test scores.