In 10 minutes on March 4, the life of suspended Grove City music teacher Dan Konnen changed.

That afternoon, the Hermitage resident said, he finished a fifth-grade choral practice after school and was on his way to rehearsal for the Grove City High School musical, "Footloose."

He decided to stop between practices to see Superintendent Dr. Robert Post because Post's secretary had called earlier in the day saying the superintendent wanted to see him after school.

Konnen said he figured it had something to do with scheduling for next school year or the upcoming play. "Those were the only two things that even crossed my mind," the 24-year-old teacher said.

That's when Konnen was told that because of a Web site he created in college, he was being suspended immediately without pay.

"They asked for my keys," he said. "I'm glad I was sitting in the chair. I'm glad the union rep was there."

He said the Web site was the only reason for his suspension that was cited in a letter Post gave him.

Post said previously that dismissal proceedings the school board began against Konnen were just "partly to do with a Web site."

When asked if the suspension had anything to do with e-mails, Todd Park, Konnen's lawyer from the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said "we have received no notification concerning any specific allegations about any e-mail."

The accusations Konnen said he heard that day were "immorality, incompetence, intemperance, persistent negligence and persistent and willful violation of the school laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" -- which were taken from the school code to be used for the purpose of firing him legally.

"I sort of read the charges. It's sort of like a shell-shock feeling. It's not words I've ever heard used to describe me before," he said.

"I didn't know what the response should be. In like 10 minutes, it was just like I was floored, flabbergasted. I never expected to be fired over something you throw together from things several years ago that people sent me."

Konnen had been with the district full time since September as a music teacher and assistant band director in the high school and Hillview Intermediate Center. He was an assistant band director during the 2001-02 school year, which was also his senior year at Grove City College.

"I was slated to student teach in the district (during his senior year at college), but the band director called me and said his assistant is pregnant and can't do the marching band," Konnen said. "He asked me to take a position. I thought it would be a good experience."

As far as he knew, it turned out to be such a good experience between marching band during football season and pep band during basketball season that he was hired within two weeks of graduating from GCC last May. "I gave them a verbal acceptance near the end of May, though I didn't sign a contract until Sept. 1," he said.

Konnen said the accusations of incompetence and persistent negligence confuse him. "I had an evaluation in November and an evaluation in January. They were all good," he said.

According to information provided by Konnen, the November evaluation noted Konnen "used humor to establish a positive feeling tone as well as interest ..." and "Your stories helped to focus meaning in regard to charts. Meaning, modeling and practice all help students retain ideas."

The categories in the January evaluation were personality, preparation, technique and pupil reaction. The highest score he could get was a 20. He received a 20 in every category.

Both reviews were done by former Principal Richard Bonnar who resigned in February to take a position with Riverview Intermediate Unit VI in the Clarion area. Messages left with him at his job were not returned.

As for the immoral and intemperate accusations, Konnen claims he has never had a speeding ticket, let alone any criminal charges.

When Grove City Area School Board began dismissal proceedings against Konnen, Grove City Police Chief Dean Osborne said to his knowledge no criminal charges had been filed against the 24-year-old.

Konnen plans to have an arbiter hear his case. According to the PSEA, it will take about three to four months for arbitration.

In the meantime, Konnen has no income.

"Luckily, I had a lot of bills paid off. I'm trying to cut costs here and there. Zero income plus bills doesn't make for an easy check-writing month," Konnen said.

He also worries about how the publicity is affecting his family.

"The worst part is with my dad working at Slippery Rock (University) or when my mom goes out shopping, they run into people who ask questions. They're not sure what to say or what they can say. It's causing them a lot of stress.

"I grew up in Hermitage, I live in Hermitage. Seeing the picture of me in the newspaper on page three (last week) was not easy for them," he said, adding that his parents support him 100 percent.

"There's good days and then there's days I don't want to get out of bed," he said. "You try to find things to keep your mind going."

Those things include arranging music for the Shenango Valley Chorale, to which he belongs; going to a music education conference in Hershey, Pa.; and looking into getting a master's degree or a second bachelor's.

As for the Web site, Konnen claims he was never asked to shut it down and he has not updated it since September 2001.

As it says on the site. "It's just something I put together in my spare time when I was in college. I was just killing time between classes. It wasn't a political statement. I wasn't out to make a name for myself. It was almost an afterthought, like an old hobby you lose interest in.

"I could understand maybe a letter of reprimand. I didn't ever expect it to cause termination."

"If I had been told that (to shut it down), I would have," Konnen said. "I don't know what to do with it now."

According to his PSEA representative Marcus Schlegel, "I think it does help (to have it online) for people to see what is there. There's stuff on the radio that's more obscene than what's on the Web site."

Waiting for all of this to be over is the worst for Konnen. "It's still hard to believe. I felt that I was doing a good job at being a teacher and doing a good job helping. I didn't think I ever hurt anyone with anything I did. I didn't go to college to get a degree to not do what I love to do. It's my livelihood. That's what I enjoy," he said.

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