SAXONBURG — The South Butler County School Board on Wednesday approved a “last chance” agreement to reinstate a middle school teacher who was suspended without pay for allegedly misusing sick days.


Neither the board, administrators or solicitor Thomas Breth identified the teacher.

But several middle school students who spoke on the teacher's behalf referred to the teacher as a female.


Breth told about 100 students, parents and teachers who attended the school board committee meeting that this isn't the first time district administrators have clamped down on allegations of misused sick time. Breth said “corrective action” was taken against a different professional employee who allegedly used paid leave time for vacation last spring.

That employee was also not identified Wednesday night.


This school year similar allegations arose against another professional employee, Breth said. He said an investigation found “credible evidence” of misuse of sick days and the employee was suspended without pay.


One parent said the teacher was removed from her classroom on Oct. 19.


Breth said he presented the results of the investigation to the administration and the teachers union. The administration made a recommendation on how to address the matter to the board, and he prepared a modified recommendation after meeting with local teacher union representative Brooke Witt.


That recommendation and the last chance agreement “keeps employment intact,” Breth said. The teacher and the union approved the agreement, he said. After the meeting, he declined to say when the teacher would return to work.