Brewer ed tech fired in marijuana dispute

BREWER – The Brewer School Committee early today fired an education technician accused of smoking marijuana with her students at the district’s Alternative Choices for Teens program.

The unanimous decision to discharge Mary Ellen Bryner came at about 12:20 a.m. following a nine-hour public session capped by the school panel deciding two of five drug-related allegations against Bryner were true.

Allegations the school panel decided were true were that Bryner allowed students to smoke marijuana on school property and joined them in the activity last fall following a bottle drive and that Bryner looked the other way when students disposed of drugs and drug paraphernalia when she knew police were coming to the school last fall to investigate a case of missing money.

Bryner registered little emotion as four members of the committee discussed her fate in front of her. When asked, Bryner said she would appeal the decision. Her attorney, Jeffrey Silverstein, expressed dismay at the “lynch mob” mentality he alleged was used in the investigation against Bryner.

Brewer Superintendent Betsy Webb, who had recommended Bryner be discharged last month, declined to comment on the personnel issue.

Bryner was placed on administrative leave March 7 after a student at the alternative high school told another teacher about Bryner’s alleged pot smoking. The ACT program is located at the corner of Wilson and Main streets, about two miles from Brewer High School.

Left unanswered was the fate of Joanna Pennypacker, a Brewer High School art teacher and Bryner’s roommate. Pennypacker was placed on administrative leave last month following allegations she and Bryner provided and smoked pot with students during an art trip to Boston. Bryner was cleared of that allegation Tuesday.

School board Chairman Mark Chambers called the decision a difficult one. “Nobody wins – not the school, the community or the students” in the matter, he said.