Mission teacher keeps job after students protest

St. Ignatius High School teacher Tim Biggs returned to work Tuesday morning, elated, after the school board voted 3-2 not to terminate him, following an outpouring of support from students and faculty all day Monday.

Mission students staged a "walk out" Monday morning at 10 a.m. to protest Biggs' expected termination [see related story]. Talk of Biggs' possible termination had surrounded the social studies and history teacher for the past couple of weeks, although school board members are prohibited from discussing the possible reasons for a teacher's termination.

Biggs also declined to specify what exactly he faced termination for but said it was not a significant event or situation.

"If I would have been fired [Monday] night, I would have been able to tell you everything," he said. "If I were to talk to you about it, you would be completely outraged."

Apparently some of the students were. More than two dozen people spoke on his behalf at a hearing Monday night, a hearing that had been rescheduled a couple of different times over the past week.

"It had more to do with the letter of the law than anything else," said Tim Marchant, the president of the St. Ignatius Federation of Teachers, the teachers' union. "It's really difficult to say much more about it. It was what we felt was a minor infraction - certainly not something that merited termination."

Biggs said the outpouring of support Monday has really bolstered him.

"I'm overwhelmed by the support from the community and students. It is overwhelming to hear testimonials from more than 25 people, some with tears running down their cheeks. I've never had such accolades before," Biggs said. "I knew I was held in high esteem but I didn't know the extent until [Monday] night. I'm glad the board didn't uphold the superintendent's recommendation to terminate me immediately."

Marchant said the board deliberated for more than a half hour, after deciding not to make it a closed session, and that he was surprised Biggs still had his job.

"We were really surprised. We were prepared to have the board terminate him, and we were quite relieved and surprised that they didn't," Marchant said.

Kristie Nerby, Dave Orr and Dave Castor voted in favor of keeping Biggs, while Jim Udall and Steve Allard voted for his termination, Marchant said.

He said he thought the public outcry from the students might have been a factor.

"The students were genuinely concerned about this. I was proud of the way they behaved themselves, not that I condone skipping school," Marchant said. "The [state teachers' union] says you can bring in a 100 people and it won't make any difference, but I think it did last night."

"It [the student walk-out] was wonderful, the high point of my career," said Biggs, who has been teaching in the school district for 21 years. "I'm living on Cloud Nine. It's wonderful to be back in the school teaching this week."

By Karen Peterson

Leader Staff

ST IGNATIUS-It wasn't your typical Monday morning at Mission High School as students joined together to form a walk-out in support of embattled teacher Tim Biggs, who was facing possible termination that night.

With signs held high the students chanted in front of the school, "Bring back Biggs." They moved across the street, after walking out of class, to circle the school district office and voice their strongly held beliefs that their U.S History, World History, government and current events teacher should not be dismissed.

"We want to know why they are firing the best teacher. Biggs is fair to everyone. He lets us have real debates on real-world issues. He was just hauled out of class one day and never came back," student Nicole Callahan said.

Joseph Mitchell coordinated the event to show support for Biggs and voice a collective student opinion on the matter.

"The school is being extremely unfair. He was there on Tuesday and gone on Wednesday. Now our teachers are afraid to teach because they might get fired. Intimidation tactics will not work any longer," Mitchell said.

The school's resource officer, Jody Durham, was on the scene to inform the students of what they can and cannot legally do and to give the students advice.

"You guys are doing just fine with a peaceful protest. Keep it civil and responsible, no vandalism. Seniors, you need to be leaders," Durham said.

High school principal Jason Sargent said that students participating in the protest would receive an unexcused absence. This could affect students that have numerous absences already on their attendance records.

Durham talked to some of the students that could be adversely affected by joining in the protest but he said that it was their choice.

"One kid already missed nine days and I personally told him that he shouldn't miss any more days or he could have to retake those classes," Durham said.

Durham said that everyone was being very peaceful and civil.

"It's peaceful so far. [Sargeant] even told them to come back in and get their coats," he added.

Superintendent Tim Skinner came out of the district office to try and shed some light on the matter without breaching Biggs' right to privacy. He told the students that some complaints had been made about Biggs and that an investigation was being done.

The students were very passionate about their cause, and went on a parade through town with honks of support and some applause from spectators.

Law enforcement officials followed the students around town and then, back at the high school, they parked their cars around the protesters to help keep the peace as the crowd began to grow in numbers. Many of the students participated all day, waiting until the 5 p.m. hearing that would determine Biggs' job status.