Winchester 73
member
The community is very divided over this issue.
Hope this is not a duplicate.Did not find in Search.
http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/504523.html?nav=5061
Board drops Hoover
Vote 3-2 to terminate the middle school principal
ELIZABETH *-The Wirt County Board of Education late Wednesday night terminated a principal who brought two hunting rifles onto school property.
The board went into closed session shortly after the meeting started 6 p.m. Wednesday where they remained well into the evening. The board returned to open session at 11:30 p.m. and voted 3-2 to dismiss James D. Hoover as principal of the Wirt County Middle School.
Wirt County Schools Superintendent Daniel Metz this morning said he could not comment on the boardás decision because of the possibility of an appeal.
"I think the decision speaks for itself," he said.
Hoover could not be reached for comment this morning. Hoover's attorney, George Cosenza, did not immediately return a phone message left at his office this morning.
Hoover was suspended without pay in October for bringing two hunting rifles onto school property after retrieving them from the scene of a hunting accident at the request of a friend who was involved in the incident.
"I would like to thank God and every individual who took it upon themselves to help sustain my family and I during this difficult time. We certainly appreciate the love and concern," Hoover said in a prepared statement issued Wednesday evening.
Hoover was charged with bringing guns onto school property, but the charges were dismissed by Wood County Circuit Court Judge Robert Waters. Cosenza successfully argued that Hoover's situation fell under provisions of West Virginia gun law that allow unloaded weapons to be secured in a locked vehicle.
Hoover retrieved the guns after an incident Oct. 8. Christopher Giffin was hunting when his future father-in-law, Tony McCloy, accidentally shot him in the head, said Pauline McVey, the victimás cousin and a former secretary at the middle school who worked with Hoover.
Giffin is recovering from the incident, McVey said. McCloy has been charged by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources with negligent use of a firearm, withholding information from authorities and illegal possession of a firearm, said officials with the Wirt County Sheriff's Department.
McCloy called Hoover and asked him to retrieve the guns from the woods and secure them after the accident, McVey said.
The Department of Natural Resources was in the process of investigating the incident and officials were looking for two .22-caliber rifles when Hoover arrived on the scene and asked to speak to the lead investigator. It was determined that Hoover had retrieved the guns, but replaced the gun that inflicted Giffin's wound. McCloy had asked Hoover to replace the gun because authorities were looking for it and needed it for the investigation, McVey said.
McVey said she attended Wednesday's meeting to support Hoover's reinstatement as principal. She said she believes he didn't do anything wrong. He wasn't attempting to interfere with the investigation and only brought the guns to the school because of the extenuating circumstances surrounding the accidental shooting, she said.
"It's not just Mr. Hoover, it's anyone in the same position as him. He meant no harm," she said.
McVey said Hoover is a good principal.
"I worked with him since he's started the job. He takes his job very seriously. He always has. He's compassionate. His No. 1 goal has been getting a good relationship with the kids," she said.
Hoover does not have a history of problems in the school district, McVey said. She said she believes the superintendent of schools, Daniel Metz, does not want Hoover reinstated.
"You know, the teachers would complain about little things, but the superintendent always said he was doing fine. I don't know why he's so dead-set against him now," McVey said.
Metz said he had no comment on the issue Wednesday evening.
McVey said media reports after the incident indicated students were at the school when Hoover had the guns in his vehicle. However, she said it is a school policy that students are not supposed to be in school on in-service days when school is not in session. The day of the incident was an in-service day, she said.
"They're eager to enforce the gun policy, but they don't enforce their other policies,' she said.
Hoover stored the guns in the trunk of his vehicle and did not remove them while he was at the school. McVey said Hoover took the gun used in the shooting back to the area where the incident occurred when he learned law enforcement needed it for the investigation. The other gun remained in his vehicle.
DNR officials have reported that Hoover cooperated with their investigation, and Hoover has not been charged with any crime relating to interfering with the investigation. Hoover's attorney George Cosenza said no charges were pending against Hoover.
Carol Richards, concerned parent, said she feels itás a simple matter. Hoover should be reinstated.
"It should be an open and shut case. Theyáre ruining his reputation," she said.
Several students attended Wednesdayás meeting to show support for Hoover's reinstatement as principal. They were seen wearing shirts that voiced support for Hoover.
Kat Richards, an eighth grade student, said she wants Hoover to return to work as principal.
"I think that itás really unfair and he deserves his job back," she said. "He was a really good principal."
Katelyn Cottrell, eighth grade student, said Hoover is well-liked by the students.
"We all really care about Mr. Hoover. If he doesn't make it, I don't know what I'll do," she said.
Eighth grade student Katey Wilson said she had nothing but good things to say about Hoover.
"If you do something wrong, he doesnát judge you," she said. "He's really fair."
Hope this is not a duplicate.Did not find in Search.
http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/504523.html?nav=5061
Board drops Hoover
Vote 3-2 to terminate the middle school principal
ELIZABETH *-The Wirt County Board of Education late Wednesday night terminated a principal who brought two hunting rifles onto school property.
The board went into closed session shortly after the meeting started 6 p.m. Wednesday where they remained well into the evening. The board returned to open session at 11:30 p.m. and voted 3-2 to dismiss James D. Hoover as principal of the Wirt County Middle School.
Wirt County Schools Superintendent Daniel Metz this morning said he could not comment on the boardás decision because of the possibility of an appeal.
"I think the decision speaks for itself," he said.
Hoover could not be reached for comment this morning. Hoover's attorney, George Cosenza, did not immediately return a phone message left at his office this morning.
Hoover was suspended without pay in October for bringing two hunting rifles onto school property after retrieving them from the scene of a hunting accident at the request of a friend who was involved in the incident.
"I would like to thank God and every individual who took it upon themselves to help sustain my family and I during this difficult time. We certainly appreciate the love and concern," Hoover said in a prepared statement issued Wednesday evening.
Hoover was charged with bringing guns onto school property, but the charges were dismissed by Wood County Circuit Court Judge Robert Waters. Cosenza successfully argued that Hoover's situation fell under provisions of West Virginia gun law that allow unloaded weapons to be secured in a locked vehicle.
Hoover retrieved the guns after an incident Oct. 8. Christopher Giffin was hunting when his future father-in-law, Tony McCloy, accidentally shot him in the head, said Pauline McVey, the victimás cousin and a former secretary at the middle school who worked with Hoover.
Giffin is recovering from the incident, McVey said. McCloy has been charged by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources with negligent use of a firearm, withholding information from authorities and illegal possession of a firearm, said officials with the Wirt County Sheriff's Department.
McCloy called Hoover and asked him to retrieve the guns from the woods and secure them after the accident, McVey said.
The Department of Natural Resources was in the process of investigating the incident and officials were looking for two .22-caliber rifles when Hoover arrived on the scene and asked to speak to the lead investigator. It was determined that Hoover had retrieved the guns, but replaced the gun that inflicted Giffin's wound. McCloy had asked Hoover to replace the gun because authorities were looking for it and needed it for the investigation, McVey said.
McVey said she attended Wednesday's meeting to support Hoover's reinstatement as principal. She said she believes he didn't do anything wrong. He wasn't attempting to interfere with the investigation and only brought the guns to the school because of the extenuating circumstances surrounding the accidental shooting, she said.
"It's not just Mr. Hoover, it's anyone in the same position as him. He meant no harm," she said.
McVey said Hoover is a good principal.
"I worked with him since he's started the job. He takes his job very seriously. He always has. He's compassionate. His No. 1 goal has been getting a good relationship with the kids," she said.
Hoover does not have a history of problems in the school district, McVey said. She said she believes the superintendent of schools, Daniel Metz, does not want Hoover reinstated.
"You know, the teachers would complain about little things, but the superintendent always said he was doing fine. I don't know why he's so dead-set against him now," McVey said.
Metz said he had no comment on the issue Wednesday evening.
McVey said media reports after the incident indicated students were at the school when Hoover had the guns in his vehicle. However, she said it is a school policy that students are not supposed to be in school on in-service days when school is not in session. The day of the incident was an in-service day, she said.
"They're eager to enforce the gun policy, but they don't enforce their other policies,' she said.
Hoover stored the guns in the trunk of his vehicle and did not remove them while he was at the school. McVey said Hoover took the gun used in the shooting back to the area where the incident occurred when he learned law enforcement needed it for the investigation. The other gun remained in his vehicle.
DNR officials have reported that Hoover cooperated with their investigation, and Hoover has not been charged with any crime relating to interfering with the investigation. Hoover's attorney George Cosenza said no charges were pending against Hoover.
Carol Richards, concerned parent, said she feels itás a simple matter. Hoover should be reinstated.
"It should be an open and shut case. Theyáre ruining his reputation," she said.
Several students attended Wednesdayás meeting to show support for Hoover's reinstatement as principal. They were seen wearing shirts that voiced support for Hoover.
Kat Richards, an eighth grade student, said she wants Hoover to return to work as principal.
"I think that itás really unfair and he deserves his job back," she said. "He was a really good principal."
Katelyn Cottrell, eighth grade student, said Hoover is well-liked by the students.
"We all really care about Mr. Hoover. If he doesn't make it, I don't know what I'll do," she said.
Eighth grade student Katey Wilson said she had nothing but good things to say about Hoover.
"If you do something wrong, he doesnát judge you," she said. "He's really fair."
