It took five hours for the two attorneys to present testimony in the case of Jeff Fairris’s request to remain on staff as principal of the Prescott High School. The status of Fairris, who has been principal for the past three school years, had been in question after Prescott Superintendent Hyacinth Deon recommended that his contract not be renewed for the 2009-10 school year.
Fairris and his attorney, Little Rock lawyer Marcia Barnes, addressed the school board in a special meeting Monday night at PHS. Asked if he wished the meeting to remain open to the public, Fairris replied to the affirmative.
Over the next five hours, Barnes and Sharon Streett, an attorney for Deon, questioned several witnesses, including Deon, Farris and other staff members.
The board was finally faced with two questions, including whether Fairris had been untruthful on several specific points. After an executive session that lasted almost an hour and a half, the board returned with the unanimous decision that Deon’s allegation that Fairris had changed the district’s calendar. On point two of the allegations, that Fairris had been untruthful on several specific points, the board was split with three voting that this allegation was not true, exonerating Fairris of wrongdoing on this point.
The board then voted in another split vote to renew Fairris’s contract with several stipulations, all apparently relating back to the allegations against Fairris.
For more details, see an extended version of this story in the 6-17 edition of the Nevada County Picayune.
