ORWIGSBURG - The Blue Mountain school board voted Thursday to suspend without pay a middle school teacher accused of inappropriate conduct with a male student.
The board voted following an executive session, solicitor Sudhir Patel said Friday.
Lisa M. Barnes is suspended without pay retroactive to May 5, the date of her preliminary hearing in Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier's office, Orwigsburg. Her benefits will terminate May 31.
Patel said that is because she is not contributing toward those benefits out of her paycheck.
He said the board took the action "based solely on the fact that charges have been held for court."
Barnes, 45, has been charged with one count each of corruption of minors and institutional sexual assault and two of indecent assault.
Ferrier said there was enough evidence for the case to be held for court at the conclusion of the May 5 hearing.
The charges stem from an alleged incident March 14 at the middle school in the family consumer science class she teaches.
It is alleged Barnes inappropriately touched a 13-year-old male student during class. She had been put on administrative leave.
"The board was informed that would occur," Patel said about Barnes being placed on administrative leave before the suspension.
If a grievance is filed by the union regarding the action taken by the school board, it would not come as a surprise to the district.
"We fully expect that the union will file a grievance," Patel said.
Barnes' attorney, Fred Fanelli, did not return a call for comment Friday.
Superintendent Robert Urzillo said the vote was unanimous. He directed all other comments to Patel.
School board President Heather Gosch also declined comment Friday except to say, "We just have to let everything play out in the courts."
"Ms. Barnes clearly is presumed innocent. She has maintained her innocence," Patel said.