Story Archive

Wait, ME?

After the school term ended last year, two employees retired from Michigan’s Dearborn Heights School District 7, including a principal who had put in 40 years with the district. For a retirement celebration at the district board office, Superintendent Jennifer Mast brought something special to help celebrate. “We drank literally, half of bottle of champagne,” she said, “and there were 12 adults present.” She quickly added “It was completely innocent.” Doesn’t the district have a policy against drugs or alcohol on district property? It does: Mast has been with the district for 22 years, and admitted she knew that even bringing the bottle unopened as a take-home gift would be against policy. The Board of Education agreed: it suspended her without pay for five days. Mast, who earns $125,000 per year plus benefits, a vehicle allowance for travel, and a “tax shelter annuity,” whined about the pay hit, and missing the “graduation parade,” honor roll celebrations, and other events. “I never dreamed that I would be suspended for five days without pay,” she said. “I never imagined being asked for my keys, escorted out of my building and losing access to my email, voice mail, etc.” (RC/Detroit Free Press) ...Maybe now she can imagine how a kid who didn’t understand the rules feels about being expelled for copying a picture of a soldier’s gun out of a textbook.