Board 'with regret' accepts teacher's resignation

TEN SLEEP – During the January school board meeting Monday evening, the Ten Sleep school board was faced with a very difficult decision, whether or not to accept Ten Sleep School shop teacher, yearbook advisor and coach Jake Zent’s resignation. The board deliberated for close to three hours in executive (closed) session before making the decision to accept Zent’s resignation with a 3-2 vote.

Ten Sleep School Board Chair Tesia Greet stated, “I had a very hard time with this and I strongly believe that everyone deserves a chance to present their case. I think Mr. Phelps deserves a chance for his feelings and the things that he feels isn’t right to be out there and I also feel that Jake does too. That being said, it is Jakes choice and he has personally asked me that he be allowed to resign. It is his choice, we gave him other options and this was what he asked. The board I feel, should be able to see Mr. Phelps’ evidence and we will be able to and I hope that the public can all respect our decisions. I am going to vote to accept Mr. Zent’s resignation.

Board member Jared Lyman stated, “It pains me greatly to lose Jake but I respect him too much to go against his wishes. That’s why I vote to accept his resignation.”

Board member Terril Mills who also voted in favor said, in making the motion to accept that it was with regrets.

Board member Chuck Powell opposed accepting the resignation stating, “I have given much prayer and deliberation to this and I’m still not sure how I feel about it, what’s right for the district and what’s right for the teacher.”

Ten Sleep board member Jane Thurston agreed with Powell stating that she would like to allow for both Zent and Ten Sleep School Superintendent Jimmy Phelps to defend their sides.

Zent’s resignation was given after Superintendent Jimmy Phelps approached Zent with an unsigned letter of recommendation of termination on Dec. 15, 2016 and gave Zent the choice of Phelps signing the letter of termination or Zent voluntarily resigning. The reasons for this action were given to the board and Zent but not to the public and Zent’s wife Sandy stated that they were not allowed to and didn’t want to talk about it.

Before public comment, Ten Sleep school district attorney Tracy Copenhaver commented to the board and the public explaining the situation and legalities. “In this particular situation there’s been a recommendation from the superintendent with regard to an employee and that employee, Mr. Zent, has a right to request a hearing if the superintendent moves forward with that recommendation.

“The superintendent has not had the opportunity to present all the evidence and information to this board. They have not heard it. They have not heard it, as far as I know from anybody else out there because they are supposed to be impartial and unbiased. So tonight, this board has a, my understanding, a resignation has been submitted, they have an opportunity to accept that or not accept that. If they don’t accept that, the options are that Mr. Zent can proceed to a hearing or if this board decided that they didn’t want the superintendent to be able to pursue that I suppose they could instruct him to stop any further recommendation at this point. This isn’t a hearing, there won’t be discussion back and forth with the board. I just want everybody to be aware that the superintendent can’t present testimony, can’t present evidence until after it is made known whether or not there is going to be a hearing, that’s just legally the way that it has to be.

“The other problem for you as board members is that you have been given the same information Mr. Zent was as to the issues that the superintendent has and the basis for his recommendation. You have not been given the evidence, but you have been given, it’s a written list, Mr. Zent has it, Mr. Zent can share it, you don’t get to, because it’s a personnel matter. What will happen first is that you take into consideration whatever comments that you want to have, it’s not a give and take. Once the community has made their input you are going to recess into executive session at which point you get to discuss your options, alternatives, I can give you legal advice ultimately whether or not you accept the resignation or not.”

Over 50 members of the community ranging from parents, grandparents, students and coworkers attended the meeting and the comments of support ranged from tears to fear to anger. Comments were given in support of Zent who is considered an upstanding member of the community and whose presence has benefitted many students over the years. There were expressed fears about who would be next on the chopping block and whether teachers would be forever looking over their shoulders.

Ten Sleep resident John Gerstner stated that he had been a school board member for longer than all the members with the exception of Terril Mills and knew that what was occurring was wrong. He had 12 children and numerous grandchildren who went to Ten Sleep School at one point or another and nearly all of them had worked with Zent as a teacher, a counselor or a coach. That Zent’s credibility had been proven but Phelps hadn’t proven his. “This is a wrong move on the part of this school board and this administration. Think about what you are doing.”

Ten Sleep resident Ed Cooper stated, “I ask that you keep in mind that Mr. Zent and his family are not merely employees with this school, they are members of this community, they are close friends and your decision will affect the lives of each and every member of that family for the rest of their lives. Not just for the rest of this year, including those children… I don’t believe that this should be an administrator decision, based on just the superintendent’s decision. I think this school board, each and every one of you, have a personal responsibility to Mr. Zent and to the stakeholders sitting here tonight to make the right decision… In the past we have seen the board not follow the recommendations of the voters and it’s created a lot of issues across this community. You guys are in a tough position, you’ve got a superintendent that’s made a recommendation, it’s awfully hard not to follow his recommendation but we would really like to ask you to do the right thing. There’s things that can be done legally, but they may not be the right thing. Stand up, do the right thing Do not accept Mr. Zent’s resignation. Let’s follow this process through, let’s try to hang on to a really good teacher.”

Zent’s statement at the end of public comment was filled with emotion and had most of the room in tears. “I love Ten Sleep. I’ve given my heart and soul for 14 years and I ask the board to accept my resignation. You might not understand and that’s OK. I appreciate the friends you’ve been, examples that you have been to my kids. There’s no need for a hearing, just let me go.”