Hudson Board of Education Announces Disciplinary Action for Teachers Who Called in Sick on Feb. 18

At its monthly meeting at River Crest Elementary School on Tuesday, April 12, 2011, the Hudson School District Board of Education convened to closed session to discuss disciplinary action against district employees and teachers who called in sick on Feb. 18. The high number of teacher absences that day forced the district to shut down all schools in the district that day.

Board of Education President Barbara Van Loenen announced disciplinary action after the closed session.

Van Loenen stated that "the board finds that employees in all categories acted contrary to the best interest in the school and the community, and engaged in action that they knew or should have known would materially and substantially disrupt school district operations, including possible closure of school."

The board announced four categories for employee discipline based on the number of violations each employee committed.

All employees who participated face a written reprimand and written warning. 

Those who simply called in sick face one-day suspension without pay. Those who abused sick leave and called others and encouraged them to call in sick face two days suspension without pay.

Any employee who abused sick leave, encouraged others to and violated a non-teacher collective bargaining agreement that explicitly prohibits an employee from engaging in, assisting or supporting any work disruption of any kind faces a five day suspension without pay.

And any employee that violated the collective bargaining agreement by using school equipment to engage in political activity, used school equipment for union business during the school contact hours, encouraged others to call in sick and abused sick leave faces a fifteen day suspension without pay.

There is no word yet as to how many employees face each category of disciplinary action.