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Local/Region
Teacher sues school board
From page one
Ms. Reid has filed suit against
Ms. McGhee, School Superinten
dent Dr. Charles Larke, and the
Board of Education. She is asking
for $140,000 in general damages.
“All we want is for the Board of
Education to follow its own ad
ministrative grievance policy,” Mr.
Watkins said. “She hasn’t enjoyed
the full rights of a teacher.”
In 1996, Ms. Reid filed a total of
three grievances against Ms.
McGhee. Among the issues were
Ms. McGhee acting toward Ms.
Reid in an unprofessional and dis
Attorney arrested in Edgefield County
From page one
dent. His client, however, had an
unsettling bit of information for
him.
“My client told me that after the
March 15, 1997 incident he had
been placed on lockdown in thejail
and they had planned on pulling
meover theday ofthe incident. He
alsotold me that the sheriff wanted
tohave mearrested.” Nothing hap
pened that visit, however.
A couple of weeks later, Mr.
Lyons had to return to Edgefield
torepresent another client. It was
tnen that they pounced on him.
Mr. Lyons explained what hap
pened after he finished with his
client.
“We started walking toward the
door when I was approached by
another deputy who informed me
that they need to see me across the
hall. I knew what was getting ready
to happen.”
Once across the hall, the depu
ties pulled out a warrant for his
arrest, he was handcuffed and led
away to jail where he stayed for
three hours before posting SIBB
respectful manner in front of stu
dents and parents; requiring Ms.
Reid to provide doctors’ excuses
for absences when not requiring
the same for others and unfairly
evaluating her teaching.
The Richmond County Teach
ers Handbook specifies the griev
ance procedure, but the language
is unclear.
“The handbook designates the
principal as the first level for hear
ing grievances, but it does not spell
out what to do if the complaint is
against the principal,” Mr.
Watkins said.
At any rate, Ms. Reid submitted
bail.
Mr. Lyons is upset because of
the large number of irregularities
in the case.
“I could’ve been arrested with
out awarrant that day [March 15].
Especially since they felt my con
duct was so ‘unruly.” The magis
trate was there and witnessed it.
The officers could have arrested
me right there on the spot,” he
said.
After the arrest, his case was
handled differently. Rather than
releasing him on his own recogni
zance — which would have been
the proper thing to do since he is a
member of the bar in South Caro
lina and has pending court cases —
he was charged with a cash bond.
Certainly, he was not a flight risk.
Further, Sheriff Billy Parker, who
took out the warrant on Mr. Lyons,
was not directly involved in the
altercation, nor did he witness any
part of it. The Sheriff would have
had to swear a warrant under oath
on hearsay.
“Rarelydoweseeawarrant sworn
out where people who did not wit
nessthe conduct swearitout. When
it goes to trial, the sheriff’s testi
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her complaints to the principal
and she assumed the principal
passed them alongtothe next level
—the school superintendent. She
did not get any feedback at either
level. When she appealed to the
school board, nothing was heard
on any of her appeals.
When she sought help from pro
fessional teachingassociations, the
result was still inconclusive.
“We know they had meetings
about her,” Mr. Watkins said.
“However, nothing wasever docu
mented. We feel they have been
working to set her up. It’s funny
that we near nothing about the
complaints for two years and then
mony is irrelevant because his tes
timony will be hearsay,” Mr. Lyons
said.
Mr. Lyons found out later that
Sheriff Parker was advised by both
thecounty attorney, Thomas Mims,
and city prosecutor, Lake Summers,
not to issue the warrant, but he did
it anyway.
The irregularities did not stop
there.
“He was supposed to give proper
notification for the warrant. That
way, I would have had an opportu
nity to turn myself in. However,
they waited and let things tran-
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the next thing we hear is that they
are not going to renew her con
tract.
Mr. Watkins has asked the school
board to specify why Ms. Reid’s
contract is not being renewed. She
has a Masters degree in math edu
cation and has always had good
evaluations.
The purpose of the lawsuit is to
get Ms. Reid’s case in front of an
impartial fact finder. A hearing is
set for May 23 in front of Superior
Court Judge Fleming.
Dr. Charles Larke has been un
available for comment.
spire the way it did so that they
could publicly embarrass me,” Mr.
Lyons said. “The fact that the war
rant was executed 11 days after the
alleged incident occurred, says
something about the strength of
the case,” said Lyons.
Apparently, the vendetta against
Mr. Lyons has affected the way his
clients are being treated. His cli
entshavebeentargeted by Edgefield
police officials, Mr. Lyons charged.
Mr. Lyons is currently exploring
the legal options open to him and
would only say that appropriate
legal action would be taken.
e inls
Two dollar thief
On April 22 at 8:15a.m., a white
male wearing a blue shirt and white
cap, driving a white and beige
Monte Carlo stole two dollars
worth of gas from the Smile Gas
Station on Peach Orchard Road.
The complainant told authori
ties the subject pumped two dol
lars worth of gas into his car and
peeled off.
Officials found the vehicle tag to
be registered to Danny Accord of
Sego Road.
Fighting outbreak
at T. G. I. Friday’s
An Augusta man told authori
ties he was hit in the head with a
beer bottle during an altercation
with an unknown group of white
men.
On April 22 at 11:40 p.m,,
Mathew Lockhart reported he
accidentilly hit the unknown sub
ject, a white male known as
“Wiggie,” with thedoorat T. G. I.
Friday’s. Mr. Lockhart stated that
he apologized to the subject, but
the subject began to use profanity
and followed Mr. Lockhart to his
car.
While in the parking lot, the
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AUGUSTA FOCUS APRIL 24, 1997
(The following information is
based on area law enforce
ment reports and press
releases.)
subject’s friends joined him in an
tagonizing Mr. Lockhart and his
friend, Edward Pace, resulting in
a physical altercation. Mr.
Lockhart stated that at some point
he was hit in the back of his head
with a beer bottle. The incident is
currently under investigation by
police officials.
Woman arrested for
kicking policeman
A 23-year-old Augusta woman
was arrested and charged with
obstruction of a law enforcement
officer.
Cheryl Coleman was approached
by authorities at 7:30 p.m. at her
home on Mistletoe Drive following
anincident involving criminal tres
pass.
Accordingto reports, upon offic
ers making contact with Ms.
Coleman and advising her of pend
ing criminal trespass charges, she
became violent and attempted to
strike them. Deputy Paugh was
injured due to a strike in the groin
during the incident.
Ms. Coleman had two children
at the scene of the incident. They
were turned over to her friend,
Stephanie Smith.
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