MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Former Berkeley County Schools special needs teacher Christina Lester and two classroom aides, June Yurish and Kristin Douty, are now barred from ever holding a teaching position or working with special needs children for the rest of their lives.
This stemming from a civil lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General’s Office in 2019.
Current state Attorney General J.B. McCuskey said all three were recently found to have violated the state’s Human Rights Act for their treatment of a special needs student.
“I can tell you when I took over for (former AG) Governor (Patrick) Morrisey, I would say that potentially the number one priority he had for me in the taking over this office was to make sure this specific issue got resolved,” McCuskey said. “He had taken a real interest in making sure these folks were held accountable for what they did to these kids.”
Previously, criminal charges were dismissed after the Berkeley County Prosecutor’s Office said it was too costly to continue a case that would only result if convicted a maximum of 90 days in jail.
McCuskey said barring the former school employees from future similar employment is a good resolution to the case.
“I think it represents what the Attorney General, our Civil Rights Division and our children demand,” McCuskey said.