Teacher's tussle jeopardizes job

by Margo Hoffman
The Federal Way Mirror
Washington

Despite his victory in court, one of Federal Way High School’s beloved teachers continues to fight for his job.

David Vinson, an openly gay man, has been a Federal Way School District teacher for 20 years and was recently head of the Cambridge program at Federal Way High School.

Vinson has been on paid administrative leave for the past year, stemming from an incident where he got into a verbal altercation with a former student last May at a Taco Time restaurant in Federal Way.

Daniel Baral, one of Vinson’s students, and Carter Brossard, another student, both have spoken out in support of Vinson.

The students said they tried to speak at a Federal Way School Board meeting but Superintendent Tom Murphy pulled them aside and clarified that the school board’s rules prohibited them from speaking on personnel issues.

“He’s won his case and he should have already come back,” Baral said. “I just feel like he should be teaching here because he would be doing a great job if he was teaching here, and the whole school loves him.”

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