Valerie

Crook is not about to give up. The Fayetteville

school bus driver plans to file a civil suit

against the Fayette County School District citing

policy violations over her termination in

September.

"It's

going from the political court into the judicial

court," Crook said Monday night following

the Board of Education's decision to uphold her

termination. She was let go by transportation

supervisor John Thompson after her involvement in

a third accident in less than a year.

Superintendent

Dr. John DeCotis said he agreed with Thompson's

decision to fire Crook, based on her driving

record which contained two incidents of bumping

into the rear ends of other school buses, and

another accident in which Crook reportedly

rear-ended a truck on Ga. Highway 85.

"I

feel Thompson was concerned about safety and so

many accidents in such a short time,"

DeCotis said. He cited the employee handbook as

backup for the decision which "provides for

the severity of the situation."

Crook

appealed to the board in September, and Chairman

Debbie Condon advised her to go through the

employee grievance process. DeCotis' support of

Thompson's action brought her back to the board

Monday night to ask one more time for a solution.

"I

did not come here to beg for my job back. I came

here tonight to respectfully tell you that you

have caused me extreme injury and hurt, pain and

financial harm, and devastation and

suffering," Crook said. She also had a

three-inch ring binder containing documentation

of her case. "I feel that you have

unlawfully used unfair labor practices and that

you have unlawfully violated my rights as

protected by the first, fifth and fourteenth

amendments of the Constitution of the United

States..."

She

was represented Monday night by Elsie Jones of

the Georgia Association of Educators. Jones asked

that the board determine whether they actually

had a progressive discipline policy. Crook was

not given notice or put on probation, Jones said.

"It was immediate and hard punishment."

The

afternoon of the rear-end collision on Hwy. 85,

Crook said she drove her bus home after

completing the route. Shortly afterward, Thompson

came to her home and took the bus, notifying

Crook of her termination after eight and a half

years on the job. "It's the most traumatic

thing that has happened in my life," Crook

said. Fayetteville lawyer Christopher Ramig, a

former member of the school board, will represent

her, Crook said.

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