WIRT MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ISSUED SUSPENSION WHILE CASE INVESTIGATED

(11/14/2007)

Wirt County middle school principal J. D. Hoover who has been facing charges for bringing weapons onto school property, will remain on suspension without pay. During Tuesday's Wirt School Board Meeting, following an executive session, the board voted to uphold J.D. Hoover's 30 day suspension, extending that suspension until his legal matters are resolved. Superintendent Dan Metz declined an FOIA from the Herald to say if Hoover had been suspended or put on leave waiting the outcome of his legal problems. Authorities aren't releasing details about the alleged incident, although a police complaint says he brought one or two guns onto school property on October 8th. Superintendent Metz told media Tuesday: "We want to be fair to this gentleman, as we want to be fair to all our employees. But at the same time, we owe a great duty to our students, our staff and our parents to make sure Wirt County schools are safe, and they are safe 100 percent of the time. That's the big picture and that's what we are looking at." Hoover is scheduled for a second court hearing Monday. Authorities do say the gun charges are somehow connected to a hunting accident, where 18-year old Christopher Giffen was shot in the jaw, although local sources have indicated Hoover was not directly related to the incident.

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