POINT PLEASANT — During a recent meeting of the Mason County Board of Education, board members approved the action of Superintendent Suzanne Dickens suspending both a teacher and a bus operator without pay.

According to the meeting’s agenda, both employees were suspended from Dec. 21, 2012, until Jan. 1, 2013, on grounds contained in a private letter from Dickens. According to an open meetings advisory opinion from the West Virginia Ethics Commission Committee on Open Governmental Meetings, the employee’s offenses can be withheld, but the names of said employees cannot once a decision is made.

Dickens noted the offenses were non-violent and were not of any threat to any students and while the names of said employees become public record when a disciplinary decision is made, the board does release that information along with the meeting minutes, which are approved at a following meeting and then posted for the public to view on the board of education’s website.

Dickens also supported the board’s decision to not publicly release the employees’ names until the posting of the minutes via another open meetings advisory opinion from the ethics commission, which states the board’s agenda may exclude the employee’s name.

The minutes from this meeting were voted on and approved at the board’s most recent meeting on Thursday afternoon. Dickens said the meeting minutes would be available within a period of two to three weeks.

Other agenda items approved at this previous meeting were as follows:

Approved Minutes, Agenda 12-19, Dec. 20, 2012. Placed Policy 5430-Class Rank, and Policy 5421-Grading on a 10 day review and comment period. Approved the out of state travel for Lorita Carr, MCCC Business Education Teacher, to attend the FETC Technology Conference from Jan. 28, through Feb. 1, 2013, in Orlando, Florida. TIS Training Grant and CTE monies will be the funding source.

Accepted the resignation of Janet Rowe, Third Grade Teacher, Ashton Elementary, effective June 10, 2013, due to retirement. Accepted the resignation of Sherry Diane McCoy Dalton, First Grade Teacher, Ashton Elementary, effective June 10, 2013, due to retirement.

Approved the Transfer of Lisa Gardner, Aide, Central Office Itinerant, to Aide, Central Office Itinerant, Job 001-042-I, effective January 10, 2012. Special Education will be the funding source. Approved the transfer of Tammy Watterson, Cook, Point Pleasant Jr/Sr High, to Cook Point Pleasant Intermediate School, Job 218-408-C, effective Jan. 10, 2012. County will be the funding source. Approved the transfer of Rebecca Porter, Cook, New Haven Elementary, to Cook, Point Pleasant Jr/Sr High, Job 502-814-C, effective Jan. 10, 2012. County will be the funding source.

Approved the employment of Will Hart, Custodian III/2 (.5 day), Leon Elementary (200 days), Job 206-308-C, effective Jan. 10, 2013, for the 2012-13 school year. County will be the funding source.. Approved to post the position of Custodian, 200 days, PM Shift, Point Pleasant Jr/Sr High, for the 2012-13 school year. County will be the funding source.

Approved to post the position of Extracurricular Bus Supervision, Leon Elementary, for the 2012-13 school year. Special Education will be the funding source. Approved the employment of Laura Anderson, Teacher’s Aide Trainer/Test Administrator, on an as needed basis, Job 001-100-E, effective for the 2012-13 school year. County will be the funding source. Approved the employment of William Hamm and Charlene Templeton, Homebound Teacher, Central Office Itinerant, on an as-needed basis, Job 001-045-I, effective 2012-13 school year. Special Education will be the funding source.

Approved the employment of Rachel Workman, Jr High Assistant Track Coach, Point Pleasant Jr/Sr High, Job#502-151-S, for the 2012-13 school year. County will be the funding source. Approved the employment of Bridget Judy, Assistant Varsity Softball Coach, Hannan Jr/Sr High, Job 501-016-S, for the 2012-13 school year. County will be the funding source. Approved the employment of Stephen Martin, Seventh Grade Boys Basketball Coach, Point Pleasant Jr/Sr High, Job 502-116-S, for the 2012-13 school year. County will be the funding source.

Placed Tad Greathouse and James McKivergin, Athletic Assistants, Point Pleasant Jr/Sr High, Job 502-161-S, for the 2012-13 school year. These are unpaid positions. Approved the ratification of orders issued, transfers, and supplements, Check numbers #82394 through 82557, totaling $644,552.84.

In addition to Superintendent Dickens, board members present at this meeting were Thomas Nunnery, Randy Searls, Greg Fowler, and Paul Sayre. Board member Dale Shobe was absent.