Facing the music

The saga of the offended high school music teacher continues up in Northern Nevada.

Kathy Archey, a teacher at Churchill County High School in the small town of Fallon, about 50 miles east of Reno, has now sued virtually everybody in sight over an article she didn’t like that was published in the school’s student newspaper.

At first, Ms. Archey tried to sic her teachers union on the school paper to try to block publication of an article that claimed she had withheld student audition tapes for a state musical competition.

The union’s effort failed, however, as the school principal sided with the First Amendment and allowed the story to be printed.

Now, Ms. Archey has lawyered up and has sued the school district superintendent, the principal, the school journalism adviser and even the editor of the local paper, who apparently helped vet the student’s article.

Ms. Archey wants at least $10,000 in damages. She claims the story defamed her and effectively scuttled plans she had with her husband to open a local restaurant.

“Based on the conduct of these individuals, Kathleen’s reputation as a teacher has been damaged,” the suit says. “She has suffered ridicule and has been rebuked by people who have been influenced by these defamatory and malicious allegations concerning her integrity as a teacher.”

Interestingly, Ms. Archey didn’t name the student journalist, Lauren Mac Lean.

Ms. Archey, an eight-year veteran at the school, denies the charges in the story, claiming she submitted all the voice tapes of the students who qualified. But one could still make the argument that Ms. Archey’s reputation has been harmed more by her effort to kill the story and then extract revenge from those involved rather than by the content of the article itself.

At least one of the defendants was unrepentant.

“I think that we followed everything we needed to and there was no defamation of character on our behalf,” said school principal Kevin Lords. “We took all precautions to make sure her rights were not violated. … “

Let’s hope a judge agrees.