Moore principal receives support
By Mary Anderson
Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
WESTMOORE - Over 150 people came out to an open PTA meeting at Westmoore
School Monday to show their support for suspended principal Bruce Williams
and to hear from Moore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Purser.
Williams was suspended with pay on Dec. 13 after a parent filed two charges
of false imprisonment with a Moore County magistrate, claiming that she
had to ask three times before Williams removed his hand from the door and
allowed her and her sixth-grade son to leave his office. The parent, Tammy
Galloway, had requested a conference after her son was involved in an altercation
at school that day.
Westmoore community, known for its close-knit community spirit, immediately
responded with petitions and shows of support for Williams, who has been
in education for 27 years. He has been principal at Westmoore School, the
only K-8 school in Moore County, since 1991.
Over 30 people and six students spoke during the two-hour meeting. Purser
told the crowd that because of confidentiality laws, she would be able to
respond to very little, but pledged to listen carefully and be thorough
and fair in the investigation of the allegations.
Purser also read a statement from the Moore County Board of Education
which declined the invitation to attend the meeting because of the "duty
to remain neutral under law" and in case the board had to become a
part of the process "the right to be heard by a fair and impartial
board."
Purser was accompanied by Associate Superintendent Dr. Larry Upchurch
and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Brian Williams.
Parents and grandparents asked for an explanation of the policy that
removed Bruce Williams from the school prior to the investigation, why the
administration did not back the principal and why parents were not notified
before the media announced the charges.
Former school board member Bill Garner directed his comments directly
to Purser and was often interrupted by applause.
Garner said the suspension sent the message the administration had declared
Williams guilty and he should have been left on the job through the legal
process.
"I don't know of any policy to suspend an employee with pay for
an indefinite time," Garner said. "This may be your policy, but
if this is the way Moore County Schools is going to treat its employees,
every principal and teacher better watch out."
Several speakers, including the Rev. Tom Horner, pastor of New Testament
Baptist Church in Robbins, commented on the ease of filing charges and ruining
reputations on hearsay.
Horner, who has delivered and picked up children and grandchildren at
Westmoore School every day for 11 years, said he had never spoken in a public
meeting, but "so many times things are misstated and the truth is never
known. None of us know exactly what transpired in the principal's office,
but the good he has done cannot be overlooked. We can't afford to lose good
people like Bruce Williams."
Natalie Williams made another point supported by several other speakers.
"We don't know what happened, but we can all make mistakes. If this
is the first mistake he has made in 27 years, he is doing great," Natalie
Williams said.
She drove a school bus for eight years, Williams said, three months for
Westmoore School, before she said, she couldn't take the elementary grades
and drove for the high schools.
"Bruce has the patience to deal with elementary age children,"
she said. Natalie Williams, and many others said they felt their children
were safe when they dropped them off in the mornings because Bruce Williams
was visible, knew every child by name, and was there to see them into the
cars and on the busses every afternoon.
Mike Ramsey, who has five children in Westmoore School, asked Purser
to address a request Bruce Williams had made for an assistant when the enrollment
at Westmoore topped 400 students.
"With the influx of new students, he was inundated with issues and
doing double duty," Ramsey said.
Irene Garner apologized for her English but said she had to speak because
"Bruce means a lot to me. I am Hispanic person, but for him, no matter."
Garner said she saw him every morning, that he was very visible to students,
parents and teachers.
"He always listened to me if I have any problems. You cannot replace
a person like a pair of shoes," she told Purser.
The testimonies included many personal stories of Williams going beyond
his school duties to let families know he cared about health concerns, counseled
parents and quietly tutored children in reading.
Williams was a strict enforcer of the rules and a disciplinarian, but
always fair and respected the dignity of the child. Parents in Westmoore
supported that position. Susan Strider, a substitute teacher, said even
children in trouble were not afraid of Williams when they were called to
the office.
Denette Robinson was one of several parents who said they were having
a hard time explaining to their children why Mr. Williams was not at school.
"He has always been fair and just and deserves more respect than
this," Robinson said. "Why couldn't you have had a meeting with
a mediator before any decision was made?"
Almost every speaker had a personal story of Williams' understanding,
responsiveness, love for children and community involvement. For many, he
was a father figure and they believed he had been unjustly accused and unfairly
punished.
Tim Beck told the administrators he worried about the message they were
sending teachers in Moore County.
"I have 130 employees and if I don't back my supervisors until we
know all the facts, the employees will be running the company," Beck
said. "If you don't back Bruce Williams, you will see this happen over
and over."
In her response to the speakers, Superintendent Purser said, "Your
testimonies are real and I felt the pain. We will work to resolve the issues
as expeditiously as possible. We have no timetable, but the time depends
on the investigative process."
Copyright 2002, Stephens Media Group
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