PT could be forced to give massive raise to teacher on administrative leave
Peters Township School District, on the brink of a walkout by district teachers, also is faced with the prospect of giving a $40,000 raise to a high school teacher who was fired three years ago when accusations surfaced he had an inappropriate relationship with a student while working in Virginia more than a decade ago.
Christopher Whalen, who taught math at the Peters Township High School, was placed on paid administrative leave after an arbitrator ruled in August 2013 that he must be reinstated, something the district refused to do. He had been hired prior to the start of the 2006-07 school year.
When the allegations against him surfaced, district officials gave Whalen the chance to address them, but he declined and waived his right to a hearing. He was suspended without pay on Sept. 24, 2012. The school board voted to fire Whalen the following month, and he then challenged his firing through a grievance, which was upheld because the window for Peters Township to take action based on the old allegations had expired. Whalen had faced no charges in Virginia.
Peters teachers have been working without a contract since Aug. 31 and could go on strike Wednesday. Since a new contract has not been agreed upon, the old agreement remains in effect. Under that deal, Whalen will be due a $40,000 raise in September, because by then he will have reached one of the top pay levels, or steps, in the district. That would push his annual salary to more than $100,000. By comparison, the average teacher’s salary in the district is in excess of $70,000.
“The district’s petition to vacate the arbitrator’s award is pending before Judge Nalitz in the Washington County Court of Common Pleas,” district solicitor Jocelyn Kramer said in an email. “The union is attempting to stop the petition from moving forward. Unless new grounds for termination arise, or the court takes action to vacate the award, the district is required by law to continue paying Mr. Whalen his contractural salary.”
Paul Homer, a representative of Peters Local 3431, which represents the district’s 285 teachers had no comment on Whalen Friday.
The union and district officials have met several times recently in an effort to avert a strike, which would affect 4,300 students at the district’s five schools. A last-ditch negotiating session is scheduled today. The district has not had a teachers strike since 2000.