School Board Fires Teacher

Tuesday, April 3rd 2007, 3:32 pm

By: News On 6

ENID, Okla. (AP) The school board fired a teacher who was accused of pulling a student around the room by her hair, hitting and slapping students and dragging a student by her feet. Mary Morgan, a special education teacher at Glenwood Elementary School, was fired Monday.

Administrators also allege Morgan used discriminatory language by calling her students retards.

Enid Public Schools Superintendent Kem Keithly recommended Morgan's dismissal after an investigation revealed alleged physical and mental abuse.

Three paraprofessionals working with Morgan gave statements to school administrators that Morgan was abusive to students.

Andrea Kunkel, a Tulsa attorney at Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold, presented Keithly's case recommending the dismissal of Morgan. She said the paraprofessionals said they saw Morgan mistreat students on a number of occasions.

Morgan's attorney, Richard O'Carroll, said if the paraprofessionals saw Morgan abuse children they also are guilty of not reporting the incident immediately. O'Carroll also said Morgan had received a good evaluation with only two marks for areas needing improvement.