Hernando: Teacher's case goes to state

Hernando

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Teacher's case goes to state

By TOM MARSHALL, Times Staff Writer
Published October 18, 2007

Shawn Bingham says the wallet was empty.

BROOKSVILLE - With little discussion Tuesday, the Hernando County School Board forwarded the case of a teacher accused of theft to the state for a hearing.

Board members said they had not seen the surveillance video that shows Shawn C. Bingham picking up a 16-year-old student's wallet from a bench at Hernando High School on Sept. 17 and returning it a short time later.

The tape sheds no light on the student's claim that Bingham removed $75 from the wallet before returning it, said Joe Vitalo, president of the Hernando Classroom Teachers' Association union.

Bingham, a gym teacher and assistant football coach, says the wallet was empty.

But superintendent Wayne Alexander has recommended the teacher's firing, saying other evidence gathered in a district investigation shows his guilt.

The board voted unanimously to suspend Bingham without pay pending the review by the Division of Administrative Hearings.

[Last modified October 17, 2007, 20:58:28]

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by really	10/18/07 02:30 PM
OH come on--how do we even know there was money in the wallet to begin with? Why is the parent/student automatically right and the teacher wrong? Is there more to the story? Cause it doesn't sound right.

by alan	10/18/07 08:20 AM
poor shaun couldnt resist taking that money ,,,well your not alone many ,many will do the same thing, i beleive it was a set up to check you out and ,well you played right into it,, teaching career gone over pocket change shame really dont ya think,

by byeman	10/18/07 08:13 AM
is there such a video ,,and if there is that would be great ,but no video why would they elect to discharge him,,there must be a reason.

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Teacher's case goes to state