Greenacres Junior High Teacher To Contest Termination At Hearing

The appeal hearing for fired Greenacres Junior High School teacher and coach Tony Benson is scheduled to begin Monday.

The closed hearing at a neutral site was requested by Benson who was dismissed for alleged improprieties.

“Depending upon the case, the hearing usually goes on for a matter of several days,” said Central Valley School District personnel director Wally Stanley.

During that time, school district attorney Paul Clay will explain before a hearing officer why Benson’s firing was justified.

Benson’s attorney will argue that he shouldn’t have been fired.

“There will be a presentation of witnesses and so forth on both sides,” said Stanley.

Benson, the school district’s only black teacher, was suspended last May and fired in July. The district said he “used extremely poor judgment” in his dealings with students and fellow teachers and was insubordinate.

His attorney at the time, Carl Oreskovich, denied some of the allegations and said others were “taken out of context.”