Clayton teacher fights to keep job

By Nancy Badertscher

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Clayton County special education teacher was fighting Tuesday to keep his job after being accused of offering a student $50 to "put a hit" on a classmate.

Randolph Forde, a teacher at Mundy Mill High School, was arrested in October on charges of terrorist threats and placed on administrative leave with pay.

On Tuesday, a three-member tribunal was asked to recommend that the county Board of Education fire Forde, 33, over a series of events that began when he asked an 11th-grade boy whether he was gay. A few days later, Forde allegedly told another student he wanted him to "put a hit" on someone and then flashed a piece of paper with the 11th-grader's name on it.

Forde did not attend the personnel hearing, where, in cross-examining several witnesses,  his attorney, Borquaye Thomas, repeatedly suggested that the students knew Forde would not have been serious about wanting the 11th-grader harmed.

He pointed out that at least three school administrators had investigated all the allegations and had recommended that Forde be suspended for five to 30 days.

Clayton School Superintendent Edmond T. Heatley told the tribunal that he reviewed various staff reports and believes Forde should be fired, saying "educators have a higher responsibility than most."

The 11th-grader, who turns 17 Wednesday, testified that Forde pulled him out of algebra class one day and asked him twice whether he was gay. The student said he told Forde he was not gay and that the question upset him.

The teen testified that he and Forde exchanged harsh words the next day. Later, he said, a classmate told him that Forde had mentioned a possible "hit" and had held up a note, suggesting the 11th-grader be the target.

The other teen said he initially didn't know whether to take Forde seriously. In September, he said, Forde had made a similar statement about a hit, only that time the target was a girl.

Algebra teacher Jennifer Fletcher testified that Forde was a dedicated teacher who was trying to encourage the 11th-grader and others in her class to focus on academics. She said the 11th-grader often danced with another boy at the back of the class when he should have been doing school work.

She said she would never have made any reference to a student's sexual orientation, but she said Forde "was always looking for an alternative approach -- something that would shock the kids and get them into the routine."

Fletcher said she didn't know Forde had asked the boy about being gay until the next day when the 11th-grader threatened Forde.

She also testified that the 11th-grader had told another teacher he had the ability to get her arrested or fired.

The hearing is scheduled to resume Friday.