A Williams Field High School teacher embroiled in controversy over a YouTube cheerleading video and a novel she assigned in class has decided to leave the school district.
Teacher in cheer routine video returns to work
Higley teacher's dance sparks investigation
The English teacher and cheerleading coach, Cristina Mallon, “has elected to resign” from the Higley Unified School District, district spokeswoman Sara Bresnahan said Tuesday.
An agenda item for Wednesday’s Higley board meeting states that Mallon’s resignation/termination date is effective Dec. 31. Bresnahan declined to say whether Mallon is still teaching at the school.
Mallon was placed on paid administrative leave last month “as a standard district procedure” after a video surfaced on YouTube.com of her performing a cheer routine in front of her class.
She returned to work a couple weeks later.
Mallon was again in the spotlight after a student’s father, Ken Bryden, complained about the assigned book “Jake Reinvented.” He said the book was not appropriate for his 14-year-old daughter, who was in Mallon’s freshman English class.
That issue was to be researched and brought back to the board.
