Former Westside teacher sues over alleged pressure to pass students

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A former Westside High teacher is suing the Richmond County School System, saying she was pressured to give select students multiple chances to retake a final exam they failed.

Dr. Von Pouncey names the Richmond County Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw and Associate Superintendent Nathan Benedict as defendants in the lawsuit that was filed July 19 in Richmond County Superior Court.

It centers around a British literature final exam that initially took the form of a presentation by the students. When several students failed to meet the standards, they failed the exam.

READ THE LAWSUIT:

Pouncey says Benedict led a charge to pressure her to let a certain number of those students have another chance, then pressured her to give them an alternate exam.

Says she gave students who failed and their parents proper notification of what was required in their exam.

She decided not to sign another contract with Westside.

She says Benedict wrote her a letter alleging she falsely graded students and violated rules in teaching her class, according to her lawsuit. She said Benedict told her he would be sending letter to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission so it could take action against her license.

He never actually sent the letter to the commission, the lawsuit alleges, but he did put it in her personnel file.

Now she wants to be paid for lost wages, benefits and emotional distress.

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