Knox County Schools has told 52-year-old secretary Tina Needham she can now return to work. Needham has been on paid administrative leave from her job as a central office secretary for almost two and a half years and recently filed a federal discrimination complaint against the school system.

Superintendent Jim McIntyre sent an email to the school board on Friday stating he “assigned Ms. Needham to a vacant, budgeted clerical position in our Special Education Department here in the Andrew Johnson building. Ms. Needham has been directed to report back to work starting Tuesday.”

This is a reversal in position by Knox County Schools and a direct response to Needham’s EEOC complaint. For the last year, the school system and Knox County’s law department have tried to negotiate a financial settlement to end Needham’s employment because coworkers were “afraid” of her.

The county offered Needham $30,000 in September, but negotiations ended when she filed a discrimination charge against Knox County Schools with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  For full story and background click here.