JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, members heard from Courtney Evans regarding her grievance at being transferred from Jellico High School to White Oak School.

Evans had previously been embroiled in legal issues with the school board regarding her past “unsubstantiated termination” as a Jellico High School counselor. After an administrative law judge ordered she be reinstated with back pay, Evans was put back to work, but was transferred to White Oak School by Director of Schools Jennifer Fields. 

At Tuesday’s School board meeting, Evans challenged her transfer and asked for the board to vote on the issue and over turn the director’s decision. 

According to Evans, she wants to “be transferred back to my job where the judge stated I was to go,” Evans said. She told board members they were violating a court order.

School Board member Johnny Byrge said it was “false that it was a court order” and asked BOE Attorney Dail Cantrell to confirm that. Cantrell said Byrge was correct in saying it was false.

Cantrell did explain that under the BOE’s Memorandum of Understanding, Evans was entitled to ask the board to overturn the decision. 

“Under your MOU, you list a three step grievance process. She is entitled to ask you to overturn the decision. She is using her rights to ask you to overturn the director’s decision to transfer her,” Cantrell said.

He said if she disagreed with the decision, Evans could seek another decision through an administrative hearing. 

Vice school board chair Sharon Ridenour made a motion to uphold the director’s decision that Evans will remain at White Oak, which passed with a majority vote.

Board members Crystal Creekmore and Jeffrey Miller voted no, while Lisa Fields abstained. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 11/15/2023-6AM)

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