A suspended Ohio fifth-grade school teacher is appealing to keep her job after district officials concluded she publicly shamed a student whom she deemed a bully.
Nicole LeMire-Hecker was suspended by the Olentangy Local School District school board last week.
District officials say LeMire-Hecker inappropriately disciplined a Glen Oak Elementary school student by having classmates describe how he acted badly or insulted them. District officials say she told the student he would lose recess time if he tried to defend himself.
LeMire-Hecker says the district's allegations are false and that she was addressing a bullying issue. She says the boy blew mucus on other children, used inappropriate language and pushed a classmate.
The 42-year -old teacher says she plans to appeal the board's decision to suspend her without pay.