Disabled E-Mail Account Restored, Harford Education Association Drops Grievance (UPDATED)

The Harford County Education Association has dropped a grievance that was filed with Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Tomback over the Association’s use of the schools’ e-mail system. Responding to an inquiry from The Dagger, HCEA President Randy Cerveny said that his HCPS e-mail account was restored on Monday, February 22, 2010 and that the Association’s grievance had been withdrawn.

Cerveny’s e-mail account was disabled by Harford County Public Schools on January 12, after Cerveny sent e-mails to HCEA members urging them to attend school board budget hearings. In response to the e-mail shut-down, Cerveny wrote in a letter to members that HCPS claimed the e-mails were in violation of the Negotiated Agreement between the Association and the School Board. Cerveny disagreed, citing an opinion from the Maryland State Education Association’s legal department. Cerveny’s letter went on to say that a grievance had been filed on January 20, 2010.

Harford County Public Schools declined to comment after the grievance was filed, except to say that they honored their commitments as outlined in the Negotiated Agreement. But Teri Kranefeld, Manager of Communications for HCPS said Tuesday that a joint public statement on the matter is being planned by both HCPS and the HCEA.

UPDATE:

Harford County Public Schools released the following statement through spokeswoman Teri Kranefeld:

The Harford County Public Schools and the Harford County Education Association are pleased to announce that we have reached a mutual resolution to the dispute concerning the HCPS email account of the HCEA president. The email account for the HCEA President has been restored and the HCEA has withdrawn its grievance. Both parties have agreed that the language in the collective bargaining agreement shall govern the use of the email account. Both HCPS and HCEA consider this matter to be resolved and will offer no further public comment.