Parent starts petition in favor of beloved teacher

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A parent of a student at Grissom High School is behind a petition that is gaining traction on social media. The petition posted on Change.org is titled “Reinstate Teacher/Coach Shelby Hunter.”

In the summary of the petition, it claims teacher and coach Shelby Hunter has been removed from his classroom over an issue related to a lesson on COVID-19 vaccine cards. News 19 reached out to the petition maker Chris Sutphin. Sutphin tells News 19 that Mr. Hunter has been on administrative leave since December 3rd, 2021.

News 19 reached out to the Huntsville City School district to confirm details. When asked if Mr. Hunter was on administrative leave and or if he had requested a hearing with the school district, Huntsville City Schools gave the following statement: “This is a personnel matter the district is not at liberty to discuss”.

As of Thursday, Mr. Hunter is still listed as a member of the faculty on Grissom High School’s website.

A local law firm confirmed that Hunter is seeking legal advice. The firm stated it is working with Mr. Hunter.

When asked why he started the petition, Sutphin said, “I just wanted to voice my concern and show everybody how good of a guy he is.”

Sutphin says his son plays on the baseball team and has developed a close bond with Coach Hunter. Sutphin says he “hates” that Hunter hasn’t been present at the school for the past month.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A parent of a student at Grissom High School is behind a petition that is gaining traction on social media. The petition posted on Change.org is titled “Reinstate Teacher/Coach Shelby Hunter.”

In the summary of the petition, it claims teacher and coach Shelby Hunter has been removed from his classroom over an issue related to a lesson on COVID-19 vaccine cards. News 19 reached out to the petition maker Chris Sutphin. Sutphin tells News 19 that Mr. Hunter has been on administrative leave since December 3rd, 2021.

News 19 reached out to the Huntsville City School district to confirm details. When asked if Mr. Hunter was on administrative leave and or if he had requested a hearing with the school district, Huntsville City Schools gave the following statement: “This is a personnel matter the district is not at liberty to discuss”.

As of Thursday, Mr. Hunter is still listed as a member of the faculty on Grissom High School’s website.

A local law firm confirmed that Hunter is seeking legal advice. The firm stated it is working with Mr. Hunter.

When asked why he started the petition, Sutphin said, “I just wanted to voice my concern and show everybody how good of a guy he is.”

Sutphin says his son plays on the baseball team and has developed a close bond with Coach Hunter. Sutphin says he “hates” that Hunter hasn’t been present at the school for the past month.