The youth who accused former Northeast High School science teacher Laurie S. Cook of having a sexual relationship with him claimed last week that she sat in on his Spanish class to be near him.
But the youth's Spanish teacher told a hearing examiner last night that Ms. Cook and the youth were not present at the same sessions.
Susan Taylor Mathews, who taught Spanish for two years at Northeast, said Ms. Cook did sit in on her seventh-period Spanish class for several weeks. Ms. Cook did so to allow a student teacher to practice leading a science class by herself, Ms. Mathews said.
"I remember all my students, and I had him every day -- fifth period," Mrs. Mathews testified.
Mrs. Mathews was the third witness called last night -- the fifth session in a personnel hearing that is to determine whether Ms. Cook can keep her job.
Ms. Cook was acquitted on a criminal charge that she had sex with the youth. But in July, county schools Superintendent Carol S. Parham filed four administrative charges of misconduct against Ms. Cook and recommended that she be fired. Ms. Cook appealed that recommendation, setting off an appeals process that began Dec. 2 with rare open sessions.
The first witness called at last night's session was Florence G. Bozzella, a special assistant for investigative services, whose job is to investigate allegations of teacher misconduct. Her testimony was cut short because of a legal argument over hearsay evidence.
The administrative charges against Ms. Cook were based on Ms. Bozzella's report, which was the result of interviews with 29 witnesses. Some of those witnesses have not yet testified, and Ms. Cook's lawyers said those people should be questioned directly, instead of allowing Ms. Bozzella to submit her own version of the interviews.
William M. Ferris, a hearing examiner appointed by the school board to hear evidence and statements, said his ruling on the procedures "could have a tremendous impact on the hearing."
Defense lawyers have argued that allowing the report to be read, and admitted into evidence, would violate Ms. Cook's right to due process.
"Their argument is that I ought to be entitled to hear [the answers to Ms. Bozzella's questions] myself, just as Ms. Bozzella did," Mr. Ferris said. He will rule on the issue when the hearing resumes at 5 p.m. Dec. 21.
That discussion came about 90 minutes into last night's six-hour session. Then the mother of Ms. Cook's accuser resumed the stand and continued her testimony, which had begun last Wednesday.
The woman testified that after her son became upset by Ms. Cook's presence in their home, she broke off her own friendship with the teacher.
Mrs. Mathews followed the mother and testified that she was aware of Ms. Cook's friendship with the teen-ager's family. She said the youth was disruptive in her Spanish class, and that she discussed how to handle the disruptions with Ms. Cook.