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By CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON chrisj@leader.net
Thursday, February 03, 2000 Page: 3A
WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne Intermediate Unit officials have asked a Luzerne
County judge to reopen the case of a former teacher who says he lost his job
after reporting problems at his school.
On Jan. 12, Thomas M. Bell of Wilkes-Barre was awarded a default judgment
against the intermediate unit and executive director Kevin O’Connor because
they never responded to Bell’s Dec. 3 lawsuit.
On Wednesday, LIU officials filed a petition to reopen the judgment, saying
court records don’t show whether the defendants were served the lawsuit.
O’Connor and the intermediate unit also never received notice that a default
judgment was imminent, the appeal states.
The appeal says intermediate unit officials learned about the judgment from
the news media.
Wednesday’s petition was filed by attorney Joseph M. Blazosek of West
Pittston, who did not return a phone call for comment. O’Connor has refused
comment on the suit.
The petition says Bell never had a permanent position with the intermediate
unit and any changes in his employment had nothing to do with the wide-ranging
claims he made in his lawsuit.
In his suit, Bell makes allegations against a fellow teacher, including
claims that he physically abused students. Bell says his accusations were
ignored by supervisors and cost him his job as a long-term substitute at the
Alternative Education Center, Plains Township.
Bell was seeking his $29,000-a-year job, back pay, legal costs and other
damages. He works for the Dallas School District, running an in-school
suspension program.