Fulton County athletic director’s suspension upheld

By TRACYE HUTCHINS

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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WGCL) — A Fulton County school athletic director says your child’s school might not be safe from violence after he was suspended.

Kenneth Miller says he was trying to prevent a possible school shooting, but instead, he says he is being punished for trying to protect students.

“I think it sends a message that teachers should allow themselves to be attacked,” Miller told CBS46.

Miller has been suspended without pay for 20 days from his position as athletic director at Tri-Cities High School in Fulton County.

The suspension stems from a day last August. Video released by Miller’s attorney shows the athletic director questioning a student who he said he saw on security footage pass a bookbag with a gun to another student. In the video, the student can be seen slapping a phone from Miller’s hand and that’s when Miller says he restrained the student.

Miller and his attorney appealed the suspension by Fulton County Schools, but recently the District stood by the suspension.

Fulton County Schools sent CBS46 the following statement.

“An independent hearing officer determined that Mr. Miller’s actions constituted, among other things, insubordination, willful neglect of duties, and unprofessional conduct and that a 20-day suspension was appropriate and warranted. the superintendent has upheld the findings of the hearing officer.”

Fulton County School District

Miller’s attorney says their only other avenue for justice is to take the case to federal court.

Attorney Allen Lightcap says, ”Kenny’s suspension is 20 days, that’s about 10 percent of his annual pay and all he got was a lawyer to talk for 30 minutes with no evidence and no witnesses.”

Miller says he shouldn’t be punished for doing his job and protecting students. He says, “my principal asked me to assist in this situation. We retrieved guns off of campus that day. This was a situation that day where we saved lives.”

Miller’s suspension has already started and runs until May 6. He tells CBS46 that it’s unclear if he will have a job when he goes back to Tri-Cities High School.

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