The Spring-Ford Area School District is moving to fire an eighth-grade Spanish teacher over protest from parents and students who say she’s being unfairly terminated.
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The school board voted Monday to approve a statement of charges surrounding the dismissal of an employee, who wasn’t identified in board documents. The statement of charges was not made public, which is typical procedure for school district personnel matters.
But numerous supporters of Jasmine Ewing, including her husband, spoke out at Monday’s meeting against the dismissal, describing “Señora Ewing” as a passionate and dedicated educator who had positively impacted their lives.
They also urged the board not to fire her over what some characterized as false accusations.
“What foundation are we setting for the kids to know that they can retaliate against a teacher who is trying to hold them accountable for extremely inappropriate actions?” said Miranda Dombrosky, a 2010 Spring-Ford graduate and district parent.
Dombrosky, who described herself as a friend of Ewing’s, referred to a student who “bragged about getting a teacher fired” and accused the district of punishing “an innocent teacher.”
Tamika Jeter, a district parent who credited Ewing with fostering her son’s enthusiasm for learning Spanish, told the board “it would be a big mistake to let a small thing that was considered playful among students cause her to lose her job.”
Erin Crew, a district spokesperson, said Tuesday that “out of respect for the students and families involved, and because this is an ongoing personnel matter, the district will not comment on matters related to an individual’s employment.”
The resolution approved by the board Monday “authorizes moving forward with a statement of charges while providing all due process rights required by law,” Crew said.
As a result of the board’s vote, Ewing plans to request a public evidentiary hearing, her husband, Brian Ewing, said at Monday’s meeting.
Brian Ewing told the board that he and his wife had “statements and factual information that directly dispute these claims against Jasmine, and raise serious concerns about this process.”
“If the district insists on dragging this forward, the public will see what was done, who did it, and why it never should have happened,” said Ewing, who said his wife was not present Monday because she was leading students on a trip to Costa Rica.
At a school board meeting the week before where supporters also spoke on her behalf, Jasmine Ewing said that it was “devastating to stand here facing termination” after devoting herself to her teaching career.
As a Latina, she said, “Spanish has always meant something deeper to me,” and she viewed her job as not just an educator, but a “cultural ambassador.” She said the support shown by community members was a “legacy I will carry with pride for the rest of my life.”
Some supporters told the board that Ewing was an asset to the district as a teacher of color, providing valuable representation.
Former students like Sofia McClintock said Ewing had broadened their horizons through international trips she had led.
“Teachers who truly care are not easy to replace,” McClintock said. “They are the teachers that students remember years after leaving their classrooms because of the difference that they made, and that is Señora Ewing for me.”
While supporters of Ewing dominated the school board meetings Monday and last week, one former student spoke out against the teacher, accusing Ewing of participating in antisemitic bullying.
The student, Kayla Woodman, who graduated from Spring-Ford earlier this month, said that when she had Ewing for Spanish in eighth grade, boys repeatedly harassed her for being Jewish, including through a “Heil” chant.
Ewing, Woodman said, not only didn’t tell the boys to stop, but “joined in and laughed.”
It was not clear whether Woodman’s accusations were connected to the reasons the district is now seeking to dismiss Ewing.
Woodman, who described the experience as “some of the darkest times in my life,” said she was afraid to go to administrators and that her parents had a private conversation with Ewing.
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