(WREG) A Tennessee teacher is telling her side of the story after losing her job for helping a sick student. Jennifer Mitts’ story has gained national attention after she took a student to the doctor… and even paid the bill! Mitts taught for eight years at Red Bank high school near Chattanooga. But she claims she was forced to resign after she took a 20-year-old student to a doctor to be treated for a lung infection. That student isn’t from America and her parents aren’t here.
“They said before you make up your mind; if you’re fired, you’ll never work as a teacher ever again anywhere. I said that didn’t sound real good. Then they said if you resign, you can teach in other counties just not Hamilton County. You’ll salvage your teaching career.” Said Mitts.
The school district says Mitts was reprimanded in January for a separate incident… and warned not to take students off campus in her car. The district contends that Mitts voluntarily resigned and was only facing a suspension for this incident. Hundreds of people have signed a petition to try to get Jennifer Mitts her job back.