SAN FERNANDO VALLEY : Principal’s 10-Day Suspension Sought

In the first case of its kind, state authorities are seeking to enforce a 10-day suspension of a San Fernando Valley school principal accused of using her position to retaliate against a “whistle-blowing” teacher.

In a hearing to begin Tuesday, the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing will ask an administrative law judge to support its action against Jacklyn Thompson, principal of Chandler School in Van Nuys.

The commission ordered the suspension of Thompson’s credentials last year after it concluded that, as principal of Nestle Avenue Elementary School in Tarzana, she had unfairly disciplined a teacher.

Loss of the credentials would prevent Thompson from working for 10 days.

In May, 1990, Thompson suspended Sheila Hopper for 15 days without pay after the special education instructor allegedly pushed a student and made him fall--a charge police dismissed for lack of evidence.

Hopper appealed, saying Thompson retaliated against her for filing complaints with state authorities over the Los Angeles Unified School District’s treatment of special education students.

An arbitrator upheld Hopper’s appeal. The state commission ordered Thompson’s credentials suspended several months later under a state regulation forbidding school officials from harassing whistle-blowing employees.