School District Sued By Dismissed Worker

A former teacher’s aide is suing the Coeur d’Alene School District, hoping a judge will conclude that he was wrongly fired.

Jerry Roth lost his job in February because, school officials told him, he had not followed orders in his work with disabled students at Lakes Middle School.

Roth believes he was fired for speaking up against physical abuse of students in Lakes’ special education program. He said students were dragged, held down and improperly confined in a “timeout” room.

The school district board of trustees upheld Roth’s dismissal.

In his suit, filed Monday in First District Court, Roth claims the board acted “wrongfully or in excess of its powers.”

While he is asking for his job back, Roth said Wednesday that his biggest concern is restoring his reputation.

“I want recognition that, hey, I didn’t do anything wrong,” said Roth, who remains unemployed.

School district attorney Charles Dodson called Roth’s suit “unfounded.”

“It’s without basis in law and we’re going to ask the judge to throw it out,” Dodson said.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is investigating allegations by Roth and several parents that disabled students were harmed.

, DataTimes