Two suspended teachers learned Monday they will be returned to their Bakersfield classrooms. But anger persisted about a school district policy that, teachers say, holds them guilty until proved innocent.
It all started Friday with a 17News investigation.
Teacher Shannon Robinson was one of the teachers re-instated Monday.
Robinson said she was the only teachers in a group of 300 students outside Curran Middle School when a brawl broke out. She says she tried to stop the fight and a student claimed she pushed him. Two days later, the school district placed Robinson on paid leave.
Only her resilient attitude kept her spirits up, she said.
''If it was a teacher who was not a fighter or who was shy or reserved, this would destroy them,'' she said. 'It's hard. It's stressful. It's embarrassing. It's humiliating. It’s upsetting, and you don't know what’s going to happen to you.''
That's because of a Bakersfield City Schools District policy that requires teachers be put on paid leave whenever accused of misconduct by a student, even if the student is not credible or there is no evidence against the teacher.
The consequences for a student that makes a false accusation are minor, teachers agreed. That's just not fair, they said.
''If a student makes a false accusation, there should be very serve and swift consequences,'' Robinson said. ''Because we will not work in fear.''
After a month of sitting at home with no communication from the BCSD, Robinson said she was told Monday to come back to work.
Katie Irwin also was told Monday she can come back to work. She was suspended when a student said Irwin pulled her hair.
''It’s very one-sided,'' Irwin said of the district's policy.
And teachers say when they are suspended, the news spreads, and more students make false claims. But the district said that is not happening.
''That's not something tha's public since it's a personnel issue,'' district Spokesperson Steve Gabbitas said. ''Teachers leave for various reasons.''
Gabbitas says if the district thinks an allegation is serious enough, teachers will be placed on leave right away, and that policy is not changing any time soon.
