Former Southington Teacher Files Lawsuit, Claims Due Process Violations
by Christine Stuart | June 26, 2008 3:38 PM
Posted to Courts
HARTFORD-The Southington elementary school teacher, who said she was forced to resign because she appeared on the Howard Stern show, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court alleging her due process rights were violated by the Southington School Board, the Southington Teachers Association, and the schools superintendent.
This May, Marie Jarry, a second-grade teacher, and her husband were one of three finalists in Stern’s “Hottest Wife, Ugliest Husband” contest. In order to appear on the show Jarry admits she called in to take a sick day. In the lawsuit she claims she was coerced by the union and the school administration to resign.
“They failed to provide adequate notice of the charges against her or a meaningful opportunity to be heard prior to her constructive discharge,” the lawsuit states.
Click here to read the entire lawsuit and here to read the Meriden Record Journal’s interview with Jarry and the school superintendent.
Comments (2)
Posted by: chris | June 26, 2008 4:31 PM
This strikes me as being a very inriguing story. I'll be curious to see what viewpoints people have on this issue.
Personally, I think she may have a case. Although maybe not an appropiate act taken by the teacher in the eyes of the school board (or any other school board for that matter), I'm not sure their reasoning for firing her is adequate. I didn't know there was a law against appearing on the Howard Stern show on your own time?
Posted by: christine | June 27, 2008 8:00 AM
I agree this is an interesting case, but I think the morality clause is more related to her admitting she used a sick day in appropriately. I have a close friend who is a teacher who used a sick day to see her doctor, but wanted to go shopping afterward. In order not to get caught or seen doing something inappropriate she sported a wig.