Time to put an end to Martin-Hykes fiasco

Though a hearing officer said the Bellevue Board of Education should bring former schools superintendent William "Bud" Martin" back to his job, it is obvious from the testimony and allegations of turning in false mileage reports, that he could not effectively do his job in Bellevue.

We applaud the decision of another hearing officer who said the board rightfully fired Martin's former assistant Darrell Hykes for creating a hostile work environment through sexually charged conversations and actions and vulgar language.

Even the hearing officer in Martin's case noted, while saying his actions didn't rise to the level of sexual harassment, they "might have been unprofessional, rude or crass."

There is little doubt the kind of language and actions to which witnesses testified - whether they meet the legal standard of sexual harassment or are just plain crass and unprofessional - do not belong in the educational setting.

Hykes is appealing his firing through the Huron County Common Pleas Court, and while Martin awaits the local school board's actions based on the hearing officer's report, he has indicated he plans to seek compensation through the courts if the board does not make him "whole."

Then there came the news last week that an audit of the school district's books by the State Auditor's Office allege the two filed false mileage reports, adding to the disturbing nature of this entire fiasco. Martin has been charged by police with five misdemeanor counts of falsification.

The auditor's report indicates the amount of money isn't very much - $909 for Martin and $289 for Hykes - but that doesn't matter. Whether $1 or $300,000 as in the case of former Clyde Green Springs Superintendent Todd Helms, if the allegations against Hykes and Martin are proven to be true, it's stealing from the taxpayers and thus the children these individuals were supposed to help.

Heck, Martin so much as admitted there might have been bogus mileage reimbursements when - on at least two occasions - he has attempted to repay the money.

While Martin and Hykes deserve their day in court, we urge the school board to continue to do what is right by the taxpayers and fight this to the end and to set an example to the students in our schools.

It's time for this district to put this sad situation behind it and move on with the exciting process of building new schools and preparing our children for the future.