Principal,Coordinator On Administrative Leave

By Jimmy Ezzell
True Citizen Editor

Two Burke County educators have been placed on administrative leave with pay and a third received a reprimand Monday, April 12, by the Burke County Board of Education. The two placed on leave were Burke County Middle School principal Linda Murray, for five days, and school curriculum coordinator Pat Hozey, for 10 days. They will face a hearing before the board on Friday, Oct. 23, at which time they could face disciplinary actions. The teacher who received the reprimand was Ethel Williams, and she was allowed to continue in her classroom.

The board acted after they learned that Ira D. Hozey Jr., of #@^%#%^% in Waynesboro, appeared April 1 at the school for a class music program featuring folk dancing. Hozey was invited by his wife, Pat, and the invitation was approved by Murray.

While no law was violated when Hozey went to the school, the board of education said it was inappropriate that a registered sex offender had been invited and participated in a dance number with one of the students.
Because the board of education does not have a policy banning convicted sex offenders from school grounds, they have instructed board attorney, James Hyder, to prepare a policy banning any convicted sex offender from going onto the grounds of any public school in Burke County.
(Rest of Story in The True Citizen.)