Lampeter-Strasburg school board members voted 6-3 Monday night to accept the resignation of an elementary band instructor who says she was unfairly forced to resign because she called off sick to go to a music conference.

Jennifer Theilacker of Willow Street, who was in her eighth year of teaching in the district, was not at the meeting. But in a phone interview later she said she was "still in shock" over being asked to resign. Her resignation was effective Nov. 2.

Theilacker, who was the band instructor at Hans Herr Elementary School, said she used a sick day to take a conducting class in New York. Someone from the district read an e-mail in which she stated that she had attended the conference on a day she called in sick, she said.

After being called in to the district office, Theilacker said, she was asked to resign or be fired.

"I was in shock," she said. "I thought I was safe because I was an excellent teacher."

Theilacker said she admits she was wrong, but feels the ultimatum was unjustified.

The band instructor said she had nothing negative in her employee file and was praised by Superintendent Robert Frick at a board meeting in August for her teaching ability.

Frick said he could not discuss Theilacker's resignation because it's a personnel issue.

"There isn't a law that states you can use a sick day and be fired," Theilacker said. "Now, if someone does something immoral, that's different."

Four parents spoke in support of Theilacker at Monday's board meeting.

Mary Wittemann, who has a fourth-grade son who plays an instrument, said she feels that parents who have been paying for band lessons, and perhaps their children, have a right to know why Theilacker left.

Wittemann said she believes the issue affects the "community at large" and asked the board to table its decision until it looked at its policy.

"There are over 200 children who have been impacted because of how this decision has been made and handled," she said.

Kirk Hummel, a parent whose son had Theilacker as a teacher, called her "an energetic, inspirational educator that the children loved."

Hummel, who said he has an adopted "son of color," questioned why the "young, active black woman" was let go.

"We treat all our educators equally regardless of race, color or creed," school board president James Byrnes said.

Sue Lines, who has two children in the district, told the board that there have to be other teachers who have used a sick day inappropriately.

"This is a dynamic, engaging teacher," she said. "She made a mistake, and she's sorry for the mistake she made."

nIn a separate matter, Robert B. Haldeman spoke to the board about his son Spencer, a junior, who was denied entrance into the National Honor Society.

Haldeman said he was upset because his son, who he said is first in his class of 267 students and is a junior member of the school board, met the criteria but was still denied.

Four teachers wrote letters for the his son's application to the National Honor Society, Haldeman said, and one of the teachers did not give the student a favorable review.

Haldeman said he then took his grievance to the high school principal, Carroll Staub, but was told that the teacher's score and the youth's behavior were the reasons his son did not get inducted.

Haldeman said he also has issues with the selection process for induction into the National Honor Society at L-S. He said the national association states that a "five-member faculty council be appointed to administer the selection process." At L-S, he said, it's a 12- to 14-member council.

"We want the best for our kids, and we're hurting them in the long run," he said. "His college progression was hurt."

Haldeman said he also was upset because he believes that corporal punishment was used on his son during a detention he received for "goofing off" this year.

According to Haldeman, the teacher made his son and a few other students do several push-ups and sit-ups without knowing what physical ailments or limitations they might have. He said the Department of Education's definition of corporal punishment is "physical punishment."

Frick responded by saying that corporal punishment has been banned in Pennsylvania and he would look into the matter.