Legitimate Reason, or Political Bias?

You make the call:

Today, St. Charles has a population of around 65,000 and home to the Francis Howell School District and a growing controversy over political discrimination charges. Bryan Spencer has been an elementary school teacher in the district for the past 22 years. In November, he was elected to the Missouri State House of Representatives. Upon his election, Spencer applied for an unpaid leave of absence from his teaching job for the time that he will spend at the state capital in Springfield.

However, the school board denied his request, basically forcing Spencer to have to resign from his teaching position in order to serve his district in the state legislature. Herein lies the issue. The same school board has approved other requests for unpaid leaves of absence from other teachers. Spencer pointed out that two other teachers in the district were granted their leaves in order that they could serve as leaders with the Missouri National Education Association, which is a politically driven union.

Spencer claims the difference is that the teachers union is Democratic controlled and that those involved with the union, including the two teachers from the same district actively campaigned for Democrats. Spencer is a Republican, and as such does not hold with some of the union practices. He believes that the school board denied his request for an unpaid leave because of his political party, so he sent in a second request for an unpaid leave, but the board voted 5-2 to deny him a second time.

Hat tip to reader MikeAT for the link.