Normally

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Home : 2002 : August : 16

Normally
By Cathy-Dee

If a complaint is going to be taken seriously as it seems to have been in your case, they are supposed to not only give you the documentation but also allow you to defend what was stated as well.

Obviously someone in the
system messed up. Although you do not plan to return to that division in the future if I were you I would write a letter to the superintendent and your principal stated what you have learned. Your side of the "issue" should be stated as well and that you would like to see the letter this speech therapist wrote.
I would write the letter in such as way that they cannot find fault with

it - in other words be firm and in a way demanding without being accusing. Perhaps the superintendent sent a copy that got mislaid and then assumed you were in the wrong because you didn't defend yourself. He or she should have called a meeting at least between your principal and yourself about the situation, but even our "high officials" make mistakes and do things wrong.

Your letter could go something like this...

Dear ,

It has come to my attention that an unfounded complaint was lodged against me last year by ________. And this complaint may have led to my dismissal from your district.

On a personal note I would like to state that the complaint was news to me and I do not agree with the context of what I have heard about it. I would appreciate having a chance to see the letter for myself and to also clear this from my files if possible. Although I'm sure that nothing was done intentionally, I am surprised and hurt that I was never informed about this complaint and never had a chance to defend myself.

I would appreciate a response to my request at your earliest convenience.

Yours truly,

___________

Of course you may be able to come up with better wording than I did, but I thought this would be clearer than what I wrote above.

On another note, I'm glad you were able to get out of that division especially if there were no errors on their part in notifying you about the letter. Even with that possibility there should have been some discussion regardless and I do not think they handled things well. You are most likely better off being somewhere else.