State Rep. Spencer Fired From Howell North Teaching Job

Bryan Spencer, the Francis Howell North High School teacher turned Missouri state representative, was fired from his job in the Francis Howell School District, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. 

The termination will undoubtedly fuel speculation that Spencer's recent troubles with the Francis Howell Board of Education are politically-charged and Spencer already plans to file a lawsuit against the district, the report says.

Spencer was elected as a Republican to the 63rd District in the Missouri House of Representatives and sworn in Jan. 9. Just days before being sworn in, the school district's board denied Spencer an unpaid leave of absence.

St. Charles County Republicans alleged politics were involved in this decision. 

St. Charles County Republican Central Committee Member Cheryl Bates said she believes the Francis Howell Board of Education has made the issue a partisan one because it has granted two teachers leave to serve as leaders of a teachers union, which is typically supported by Democrats. 

Spencer has said he'd like the opportunity to come back to the district as a teacher after serving the community as a state legislator. Under state law, legislators cannot hold government jobs, including teaching positions, during their term. 

Spencer could serve up to eight years if he is elected to four two-year terms. 

"I don't want to be a career politician," Spencer previously told Patch. He's worked for the Francis Howell School District for 22 years teaching both special education and social science classes. 

Francis Howell policy allows the board to grant a leave of absence for a variety of reasons, such as for a medical leave of absence or for a teacher whose spouse's job moves overseas. Board President Marty Hodits said these leaves are typically for just a year. 

More from the Post-Dispatch:

School district attorney Cindy Ormsby defended the decisions to fire Spencer for not showing up to teach since early January and to deny the leave request.

"There's no constitutional right to hold two jobs at one time," Ormsby said. 

She also denied that the board's action was related to Spencer's political affiliation.

"There's absolutely no evidence on the record that the decision to deny his leave of absence had anything to do with politics at all," she said. "He was leaving in the middle of the school year and he was going to be gone for eight years."

Patch Editor Kalen Ponche contributed to this report.