Teacher Illness Faked: First Grade Teacher Fakes Terminal Illness to Avoid School
A Florida teacher has faked a terminal illness to help her take time off school throughout the year, sparking anger among school authorities who now wish to dismiss her.
Ashley Barker was a first grade teacher at Laurel Elementary School in Polk County, Florida. She reported to the school administrators that she and her father were both dying of a terminal illness, and used the excuse to request time off for fake doctor appointments, and also to leave early on various days throughout the year.
She is said to have made up the extravagant story, and kept up the lie for an entire year before her bosses found out.
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School officials had reportedly just taken her word for her illness and had not requested any kind of documentation evidence.
The school district has not revealed how many days Barker managed to take off as part of the lie, according to The Daily Mail.
Barker is now in the process of being dismissed and has been given a termination letter, according to WFTV.
Barker also allegedly wrote 120 letters to the principal of the school detailing her and her father's illness throughout the year to ensure the lie was kept up.
School officials eventually discovered that the entire story had been a lie and confronted the teacher about the façade. As soon as they questioned her about the truthfulness of her story she admitted that she had not been to any hospital visits or doctor appointments, but had simply been at home.
The school feels it is within its right to terminate her employment, however, Barker has since hired an attorney and is fighting her dismissal.
A formal hearing before a judge is expected to take place in the near future regarding the legality of dismissing her.
