Knox superintendent directs secretary on paid leave to return to work

UPDATE: Looks like she returns on Friday. RIGHT SMACK HERE.

Knox County Schools has told 52-year-old secretary Tina Needham she can now return to work. Needham has been on paid administrative leave from her job as a central office secretary for almost two and a half years and recently filed a federal discrimination complaint against the school system.

Superintendent Jim McIntyre sent an email to the school board on Friday stating he "assigned Ms. Needham to a vacant, budgeted clerical position in our Special Education Department here in the Andrew Johnson building. Ms. Needham has been directed to report back to work starting Tuesday."

You can read the entire story, which be broke Saturday, RIGHT SMACK HERE.

Whether she actually returns remains to be seen. Also, for all the folks out there complaining about supposedly dragging this lady's name through the mud, that's complete BS. She's being paid - with taxpayer money - to do absolutely nothing.

She's also been given ample opportunity to comment. TWO AND A HALF YEARS!

No one - no one - gets that kind of leave. 

The school administration dropped the ball with her right at the beginning when officials placed her on paid leave, they dropped the ball during settlement negotiations, and I suspect they'll drop it again. This isn't my opinion, either. This comes from both pro and con McIntyre supporters on the board of ed.