The Board of Education has unanimously voted to reinstate Greenwich High School Band Director John Yoon after he was fired by the administration back in April. Yoon was accused of bullying and intimidating two students.
There was an emotional reaction to the Board’s 8-0 vote. Roaring applause and cheer broke out in the Julian Curtiss gym as Yoon supporters lined up to congratulate the teacher.
“Mr. Yoon is the best teacher I ever had,” said sophomore Beth Williamson.
“He’s just always been amazing. there’s no denying that. Why else would we have been here fighting for months and months and months,” said junior Jackie O’Mally.
Nine hearings were held over the past few months, after which hearing officer M. Jackson Webber advised the school board to uphold Superintendent William McKersie’s termination of Yoon for breaking a last chance agreement. The Board of Ed ultimately decided Yoon has been punished enough, and the final approved motion states:
“Moved that ‘the recommendation of Hearing Officer M. Jackson Webber be and hereby is rejected by the Board, that the Board further rejects the reasoning of Hearing Officer M. Jackson Webber as set fourth in his decision dated Nov. 25, 2015, and that Mr. Yoon is hereby disciplined by the Board of Education via suspension with pay form April 29, 2015 to December 9, 2015,” said Board Secretary Debbie Appelbaum.
Although this motion was approved, the Board expressed its concerned with how this case was handled.
Board member Peter Berstein said quote “I think this is a war up call for Mr. Yoon and the administration. I hope they will collaboratively work together. I would like to see us avoid these types of situations. The facts will trouble me for some time”.
“All along the line, violations of procedure, common sense, professionalism, union protections, it seems the whole thing is built on a very weak foundation,” said Vice Chair Barbara O’Neill.
There is no word on a start date for Yoon, and the Board of Ed was advised by the Town Attorney not to publicly comment on the decision in case of an appeals process.
