The former employees of embattled Community Christian School allege breach of contract.
By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE
Published September 5, 2003
LARGO - Two former teachers and an assistant principal of the Community Christian School who were fired last month have filed suit against the embattled school.
The suit also names as defendants school board members and former principal Dick Baker. He resigned last month after a police investigation of the numerous trips he took to Disney World with schoolgirls. Police found no crime.
The lawsuit, which alleges breach of contract and seeks in excess of $15,000 in damages, was filed Aug. 20 by athletic director Glenn Walker, Bible instructor Vicky Jones and assistant principal Kathie Erwin in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court.
The three could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday, and their attorney was not in the office. School officials did not return calls for comment.
Walker and Jones were among several teachers who wrote a letter asking for Baker's resignation. A clause in their contract says they will "never in any way have anything derogatory to say about the school" except privately to school officials.
Erwin was fired without cause, school officials have said.
But the suit says the terminations of the three are improper because the board of the private school failed to follow its bylaws. The bylaws require that members of the board be elected by the school's parents.
Problems for Baker began quietly in May when the Largo Police Department opened an investigation and interviewed Baker and students.
The police report quoted a number of girls as saying Baker took them to Disney World as many as 81 times over the years, held bathing suit changing contests and took pictures of them in swimsuits, Tinkerbell costumes and matching dresses.
Sometimes there were no other chaperones, and some girls said they had shared a room with Baker, but not a bed.
The girls, most of whom were of middle school age, were collectively known as "princesses" and given Disney names such as Cinderella, Ariel and Belle.
