Oregon Teacher of the Year rehired, likely to be re-fired

A special-education teacher fired from his post at the Multnomah Education Service District early this month has officially been reinstated by the district — only to likely be terminated again.

Brett Bigham, Oregon's 2014 Teacher of the Year, was reinstated and placed on administrative leave, according to a district news release Tuesday. He has been provided with the interim superintendent's recommendation to the board of directors to terminate his contract.

The district said this move is in accordance with Oregon's fair-dismissal laws. The board is scheduled to review the superintendent's recommendation May 13.

"I feel like I'm on a really long roller coaster," Bigham said. "They illegally fired me, and they're backtracking and so they've put me back on leave."

His termination took effect April 10 after he was placed on administrative leave in March.

A district spokeswoman said his termination was due to a loss of focus on his classroom and students by missing class time and prioritizing outside activities.

Bigham, however, contended his termination was based on an exaggerated amount of missed class time while he served as Teacher of the Year and his refusal to sign a nondisclosure agreement in the mediation process.

The teacher had previously filed two complaints with the Bureau of Labor and Industries. The first alleged he was treated differently by district officials after he spoke publicly about being gay, and the second said he received retaliation after he complained about wrongful employment practices.

"The actions taken by MESD to reinstate Mr. Bigham, provide him with notice of the interim superintendent's recommendation of termination and an opportunity for a hearing on the recommendation with the MESD Board at a date no sooner than May 13, is consistent with our commitment to providing respect and fair and legal process to employees," district spokeswoman Laura Conroy said in the news release.

Bigham said he hopes to be reinstated to his classroom, go to the annual prom event he established, attend his students' graduation, and then figure out where to go from there.

jjohnson@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6714 or follow on Twitter.com @Joce_Johnson1