Honk News – An Ohio teacher, dismissed for taking two days off due to illness while reportedly attending a concert in Nashville, is suing her former school district. The district accused her of using “falsified sick leave,” but she argues that her termination infringed upon her “constitutional rights.”
Eileen Washburn, an English teacher at Lakota West High School within the Lakota Local School District, has initiated a wrongful termination lawsuit against the district’s board of education in Butler County, filed late last month. The board addressed the lawsuit in a filing on December 24, asserting that it denies all allegations of misconduct.
Washburn’s lawsuit states that the school district claimed she misrepresented her sick leave on February 8 and 9. She reportedly told multiple coworkers about her intentions, mentioning that she would be going to a concert in Tennessee with her son and a friend of his. One colleague stated that Washburn “didn’t want to waste $600” that she had spent.
Washburn informed the board that she submitted a letter from her primary care physician, detailing her need to take time off work because of side effects experienced after restarting a medication. Washburn felt there was no issue with her absence from work, given that she had received medical approval to be away, no matter the circumstances.
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According to the complaint, Kramer reportedly claimed that Ms. Washburn was dishonest, that her doctor acted unethically, and that he was seeking her termination at the conclusion of the meeting.
The district informed her on April 3 that her termination was under consideration, leading Washburn to seek a board hearing and review. Referee Gregory S. Page concluded that the evidence and colleague testimony indicated her alleged “falsification of sick leave constitutes good and just cause for termination.”
“Her husband was unable to attend,” claimed Sally Barker, a fellow Lakota educator who teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to students at Liberty Junior High and Lakota West High Schools, where Washburn also taught before her dismissal. Her testimony was detailed in Page’s report, which is part of her complaint.
Courtney Jacobs, an ESL teacher, reported that Washburn mentioned she would be taking her son and his friend to the concert, along with possibly a college visit, as her husband was unable to accompany the boys on the trip, according to the referee’s report.
Washburn asserts her innocence but claims she received an excessively harsh punishment compared to other district employees who faced lighter consequences or none at all for misusing sick pay.
She is seeking to regain her position and is requesting compensation for “all of her losses, including but not limited to back pay, all contractual benefits, and complete restoration of seniority in every aspect,” according to her complaint, along with attorney’s fees.