Overton School Board Votes To Begin Termination Process On Tenured Teacher

The Overton County School Board unanimously voted Tuesday night to begin the termination of tenured teacher Elizabeth Maxwell after a series of erratic behaviors.

The behavior started over the summer when Maxwell was reprimanded for allowing a student access to the school’s basketball court unsupervised. It was later discovered Maxwell had missed several required in-service days over the break.

Director of Schools Donnie Holman put Maxwell on suspension until he could bring the matter before the board. Board Chairman James Clouse clarified what the board was voting on.

“The only decision that this board is charged with making at this time is that if any of these charges is true termination from service as a tenured teacher is warranted and that Ms. Maxwell has a right to a hearing on the charges,” Clouse said.

When the school year began there was an incident with administrators, the school resource officer and school nurses in which Maxwell said she was on Xanax and proceeded to take another dose of medicine. Maxwell would then leave the school and later inform them a doctor had put her on a four-week leave.

During her four-week leave concerned parents began contacting school officials over concerning Snap Chat exchanges between Maxwell and students. A document presented to the Board states in one video Maxwell is “smoking a substance in a bong and is giving the viewer the middle finger”.

“Based upon these charges as Superintendent, I recommend termination for Ms. Maxwell,” Holman said.

The board sat quietly while reading the accusations against Maxwell. After the silence the board voted to proceed with the termination process with no discussion.

In addition to being a teacher, Maxwell is the girls assistant basketball coach.

In other business, the Board voted to not take action on a resolution that would have changed their relationship with TCAT.

“If you all remember last month we voted on that, and we didn’t quite have all the information that we needed to,” Clouse said. “We kind of jumped the gun on it.”

Clouse said if the school system runs into issues with their relationship with TCAT they would “cross that bridge when they came to it.” The Livingston and Crossville administrations will merge in the coming months.

The Board also discussed concerns with $12,380 in unpaid meal debt from students. The Board unanimously approved to pay the debt.