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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 8, 1993                   TAG: 9301080417
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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MORE EMPLOYMENT FOR LAWYERS

SOMETHING must be missing in the article, "Teacher must repay salary, judge says" in the Jan. 2 edition of the Roanoke Times & World-News. The article quoted the judge as saying that it was illegal for the School Board to hire Brenda Elswick to teach, because her father was on the board. This part I understand because it was designed to prevent nepotism.

Since the School Board was adjudged as illegal in hiring, how come the employee hired is to pay the penalty? I know parents have been ruled innocent for illegal acts committed by their children, but this is the first time a child has been punished for the action of a parent, to my knowledge. Did this father have the authority to hire his daughter, or was this an action approved by the majority of the School Board?

If this court decision stands, what effect will this have on future hiring of teachers? School boards have access to legal counsel and should have their employment contracts viewed by competent legal counsel. When each teacher is hired in the future, will it be advisable to hire a lawyer to have their employment contract adjudged legal? Sounds like a lawyers' full-employment act rather than justice. JIM J. TODD INDEPENDENCE

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