COMPTON : Compensation Ruling Near

After hearing testimony from half a dozen witnesses, a Norwalk judge is preparing to rule in a workers compensation case brought against the Compton Unified School District by one of its elected trustees, Bernice Woods. The 62-year-old Woods was injured in a fall on school property in 1984 but is basing much of her claim for lifetime medical benefits on psychological stress allegedly put upon her by Supt. Ted D. Kimbrough. Woods has opposed Kimbrough’s administration in recent years, but has been consistently outvoted by a majority of her colleagues.

School district officials have challenged Woods’ compensation claim and accused her of exaggerating injuries and falsifying a list of academic credentials she has long claimed. During the final hearing this week, Trustee Mary B. Henry accused Woods of being “a pathological liar.” In earlier testimony, Woods had called Henry “a bully” and “a violent person.” Henry’s testimony became so heated at one point that workers compensation Judge Maurice J. Carey struck most of it from the hearing record and nearly cited her for contempt.

Carey said he would issue a ruling within the next few days and decide how much compensation, if any, Woods should receive from the district.