SALISBURY — A retired teacher has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Judy Grissom and Assistant Superintendent Delores Morris.
Kathy Watson, who worked in the district for a decade before retiring in July, claims the defendants’ actions caused her pain and suffering as well as lost wages. She is asking for in excess of $10,000 in damages.
Watson said the suit stems from a letter written by teacher assistant Penny Hargett to Bostian Principal Lisa Sigmon in May 2010.
“It is full of things that are just not true,” she told the Post in a phone interview today.
The letter includes statements that Watson “never had adequate lessons plans for me to follow,” “many times students were given a prompt to write about during the hour with no guidance or help” and “movies have been watched many times for her to work or catch up on grade level responsibilities lasting for two or three days of class instructions.”
Watson said those statements are false.
Watson said she received correspondence from Morris in July 2010 saying that the letter would be placed in her personnel file.
“Originally the only thing I wanted was to have the letter that was written taken out of my file,” she said. “I really wish it could have been resolved earlier, I’ve tried everything I could and it’s like they’ve turned deaf ears.”
Watson filed personal lawsuits against Hargett and Sigmon in Cabarrus County.
Officials with the district have been contacted for comment.
Read the complete story in Wednesday’s Post.