Pubdate: Wed, 06 Jun 2007
Source: Times, The (Gainesville, GA)
Copyright: 2007 Gainesville Times
Contact:  http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2701
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)

EX-EMPLOYEE SUES GAINESVILLE SCHOOLS

A former longtime Gainesville city school system employee has filed
suit over losing his job in September 2006, saying a secretary leaked
the results of his failed drug test to an Atlanta television reporter.

Anthony Hendrix, a former maintenance supervisor for the school system
with 26 years of service, resigned under pressure just as WAGA-TV
investigative reporter Randy Travis was preparing a report on him.
Hendrix reportedly failed a drug test but continued to drive a vehicle
supplied by the school district.

Hendrix filed suit for unspecified damages in Hall County Superior
Court last month, naming the school system's board members,
superintendent Steven Ballowe, ex-Assistant Superintendent Curtis Bibb
and Bibb's former secretary, Glenda Vis, as defendants.

Bibb lost his own job over drug allegations in January after he was
charged with cocaine possession following a wreck in Charleston, S.C.

Bibb also came under fire for his handling of the Hendrix case and was
suspended briefly without pay last year when he failed to report the
employee's drug test results in an appropriate manner, school
officials have said.

In the lawsuit, Hendrix challenges the validity of the drug test
results and says he was never given a chance to contest them.

The television report that aired October 4 on WAGA-TV included a
document that purportedly showed Hendrix testing positive for cocaine
and marijuana, as well as footage of Hendrix driving a city schools
vehicle.

The lawsuit claims that Vis, who was an administrative assistant to
Bibb, "released information concerning Mr. Hendrix's allegedly
positive drug test results to television investigative reporter Randy
Travis of channel WAGA, Fox 5 Atlanta News."

The suit claims Vis "revealed Mr. Hendrix's personal, confidential
information without any legal cause or justification," and as a
result, "he was ultimately forced to resign" four years before being
eligible for early retirement.

The suit claims Hendrix suffered "public humiliation and
embarrassment, and other emotional trauma."

Vis is no longer employed by the Gainesville city school system. A
person answering the phone at her home Tuesday said she would have no
comment about the lawsuit.

Ballowe has said he learned of the allegations against Hendrix on
Sept. 28, about a week prior to the report airing, and that Hendrix
resigned the following day.

School system attorney Phil Hartley said Tuesday that the school board
members and the superintendent "are confident they will prevail in the
litigation."

"From the school district's point of view, and the point of view of
Dr. Ballowe and the school board members, they deny any responsibility
for releasing any confidential information," Hartley said.

The school system has not yet filed a response to the
suit.

Efforts to reach Hendrix, whose phone number is not listed, were
unsuccessful. His attorney, David Fox, did not immediately return a
message seeking comment late Tuesday.
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath