JC Schools board votes to appeal ruling on fired administrator, hire outside attorney
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Jefferson City School District's board voted Friday morning to file an appeal of a judge's ruling that the district must reinstate a fired administrator.
"We believe it is in the best interest of our staff and students to do so, as protecting the privacy and security of the data entrusted to us is among the highest of priorities for the Jefferson City School District," JC Schools spokeswoman Ryan Burns said.
The board also agreed to hire a separate lawyer to handle the case as it heads to the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals.
"We are in the process of making a determination as to which legal representation is best suited to handle this area of expertise," Burns said.
Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem overturned the board's decision to fire Tammy Ferry, the former instructional technology coordinator, over an alleged violation of JC Schools policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Ferry transferred hundreds of files, some of which contained students' protected information, onto a personal digital drive. She was suspended with pay in February 2019 and subsequently fired in July.
Beetem ruled Ferry did not disclose any information to a third party and was therefore innocent of any violations. He ordered that Ferry be reinstated and that the district forfeit her missed salary, benefits and all court expenses.
