Fayette teacher fought firing after alcohol-related conviction. She will resign instead.

The 2019 firing of a Fayette County teacher who was convicted of alcohol-related charges has been reversed in a settlement and she instead has resigned, according to February school board agenda and state documents.

Firings of teachers in Fayette County are uncommon.

Jacqueline Haynes was convicted in Scott District Court in June of charges stemming from an April arrest that included driving under the influence. Formerly a language arts teacher at Fayette County’s The Learning Center, she had been on administrative leave since April 2019 and her initial termination from Fayette County Public Schools was effective Sept. 30.

In addition to the conviction, the Herald-Leader previously reported that Superintendent Manny Caulk in an Oct. 7 letter to Haynes, told her that the language in emails she sent him regarding her termination was “often unprofessional and inappropriate.”

However, board agenda documents for the Feb. 10 planning meeting note the “rescission” of her termination and of her resignation that is now determined to be effective as of Dec. 1, 2019.

Her attorney, J. Follace Fields II said Friday that Haynes had requested a tribunal hearing to contest the termination after she received notice of being fired, but “there was not a tribunal hearing or decision, there was a resolution and it was agreed that she resigned effective December.”

A document from the Kentucky Department of Education shows that Haynes had taken the administrative action against the Fayette school district after her initial termination, but that the administrative case was settled in January.

Fayette County school district officials did not immediately comment.

This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 12:49 PM.