Apr 9, 2007 - A teacher who was suspended then dismissed won't be getting her job back - yet..
The School Board suspended Zielinski on April 13, 2005 and fired her on July 19, 2005, after school administrators found empty alcohol bottles and prescription medication around her desk at school. After Zielinski and the board tussled over the board's action in executive sessions, an arbitrator was called in to decide the case.The arbitrator, Michael Ryan, found that the board acted improperly. Ryan, in his ruling, wrote that Zielinski violated the school's drug and alcohol policy and she could be fired for such an action. But ---- here's where it gets wonderful --- "Ryan also found that the school board could not fire Zielinski because of a clause in the teacher's contract that prevents the school from firing a teacher who is being treated for an illness, in this case, alcoholism. "
Both sides had 60 days to reach a resolution, however, the union attorney did not file within that time.
Zielinski can now ask the Vermont Supreme Court to hear the case, or she can ask for another grievance hearing before the high school board.
Zielinski was a nominee for Vermont Teacher of the Year.
