Reinstated DC Public Schools Teachers Speak Out About Their 2008 Firings

WASHINGTON - Now that an arbitrator has ruled several fired D.C. Public Schools teachers should get their jobs back, several of them are speaking out about losing their jobs.

FOX 5 talked to four of the 75 teachers who had been fired just a few weeks before the start of the 2008 school year.

They say to this day, they still don't know why, but it clearly had nothing to do with their classroom performance.

"I always received positive evaluations, never been written up on warning," said Kadesha Bonds, who was a second-year teacher.

"I was never written up. I never received bad evaluations. It was always about what I was wearing or my personal life," said Bianca Clemons, who was also in her second year.

"When I left in June of 2008, my report said I was fine. On July 17th, I got the same letter saying you’re had been fired. I said, ‘What?’" said photography teacher Leigh Mosley.

An arbitrator has recently ruled they should not have lost their jobs.

"Allegations were made about them. Allegations were never shared with them. They never knew who made the allegations and they never had an opportunity to defend themselves," said Washington Teachers’ Union President Nathan Saunders.

Last week, the teachers say they finally got letters from DCPS with comments about why they were fired in 2008.
"One of the things it said in my letter was there were boxes of textbooks that I wouldn't open," said 4th grade teacher John Dixon.

Bonds said her letter said "She has an aggressive attitude.”

In addition to getting their jobs back, the arbitrator also ruled the teachers should receive two years back pay.

D.C. Public Schools plans to appeal the ruling.

DCPS spokesperson Safiya Simmons released the following statement:

While DCPS remains committed to providing the due process specified by the arbitrator, the appeal will ensure that DCPS is not forced to place or pay ineffective teachers in the event there are future disagreements about what the decision means.”