A longtime high school cheerleading coach in Cobb County has resigned after she took her squad on an unauthorized trip, a school district official confirmed.
Teisha Fooster, who had been with Marietta City Schools for 17 years, left after she was placed on administrative leave, Tammy Garnes, spokeswoman for the school system, told AJC.com on Saturday in an email.
The cheerleading squad chartered a bus to Washington, D.C. for a Sept. 22 football game against St. John’s College High School, although the school board never gave permission to do so. The squad raised the money for the trip.
Fooster’s leaving prompted someone claiming to be a Marietta High School student to start an online petition in favor of rehiring her.
“We would be so hurt if we lost an amazing and influential mentor such as Ms. Fooster, and we won't allow it,” the petition read. “She simply can not be replaced.”
The petition had 655 signatures as of Saturday morning.
Fooster’s formal title was youth apprenticeship coordinator, and her annual salary was $62,459, according to Garnes.
In other news:
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.