By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

THE jury trial for a former school principal and the Public School System sued for wrongful termination by a teacher began yesterday in federal court.
PSS and Jim Brewer, former principal of Hopwood Jr. High School,were represented by Deputy Attorney General Gregory Baka and Karen Klaver.
Teacher Liza Black was represented by Michael Dotts and George L. Hasselback.
Jury selection was completed before noon yesterday.
Eight jurors will serve on the panel.
Black was the second witness yesterday. The first witness was retired teacher Nariany Sikyang.
Sikyang testified that Black was good in handling her students.
Sikyang said she had observed Black teaching on several occasions and based on what she observed “Black was good.”
Black, for her part, said she has been a professional teacher for 22 years.
Originally from North Carolina, Black started working as a teacher at Hopwood in March 2004.
She said she received favorable evaluations and was regarded as a competent teacher by her supervisors and peers.
Black said she had no initial problems with the school’s vice principal Beth Nepaial.
Black added that she did not sign the letter of concern concerning the qualifications and competence of Nepaial as a vice principal.
The letter was circulated by other Hopwood teachers.
Black filed her complaint on Nov. 18, 2005 and sued the defendants for violation of civil rights, wrongful discharge and violation of public policy, violation of civil rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract.
Black is seeking general consequential and compensatory damages to include back pay and front pay, reinstatement to her teaching position, punitive damages and pre-judgment interest as allowed by law and attorney fees and cost of action.
According to the complaint, Brewer “formulated the erroneous belief that the plaintiff was responsible for drafting, circulating and encouraging other teachers to sign the letter of concern” regarding Nepaial.
The principal, the complaint added, “began to single out the plaintiff for disparate treatment (including) intimidation and harassment.”
Black began to “receive less favorable evaluations in retaliation for her perceived involvement with the drafting and delivery of the letter.”
This “retaliatory behavior culminated on April 25, 2005 when the plaintiff received a notice that her employment contract would not be renewed.”
Brewer, moreover, acting alone or in concert with others, actively interfered with Black’s efforts to obtain employment at another school within PSS,” the complaint stated.