Tulsa special ed teacher fired

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- The Tulsa school board needed only 30 minutes of discussion to decide a special education teacher should be fired for acting inappropriately with students. <br><br>Laura Woods, a

Wednesday, March 8th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- The Tulsa school board needed only 30 minutes of discussion to decide a special education teacher should be fired for acting inappropriately with students.

Laura Woods, a Hale High School teacher, was fired Tuesday for willful neglect of duty, unsatisfactory teaching performance, incompetency and moral turpitude, board member Cathy Newsome said at the termination hearing.

The board decided that Woods talked about sex in her classroom, allowed students to simulate sex acts and conducted an inappropriate lesson using a profane word.

Woods, who has been with the district five years, had been suspended with pay since December. Her attorney says Woods probably will appeal the board's decision to district court.

Woods' students function at mental levels ranging from "very, very young" to "12 to 13 years old," officials said.