By Judge Brian Addington, Gray

It was a pleasure to host the Tennessee Avenue Christian Academy BETA club at the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Gray location on January 22nd. Eight students and two teachers attended the first “Workers’ Comp 101” class.

What is that, you ask? It’s a high school/college level one-hour introduction to workers’ compensation benefits in Tennessee. Through a series of slides, I introduced the students to the different types of benefits injured workers may receive, the court system, judicial duties and responsibilities, and other programs available through Mediation and Ombudsman Services of Tennessee. We had a lively discussion, and they had many questions.

Afterward, Admin Staff Elizabeth VanDelinder, Mediator Lisa Armstrong, Program Coordinator Tina Henley, and Staff Attorney Traci Haynes explained the jobs they perform and how they interact with the court, and Ms. Henley led the students on a tour of mediation rooms.

If you know students who might be interested in the legal field, mediation, or government and would like to attend a Workers’ Comp 101 presentation, please contact Ms. Haynes at 423-854-5163.

Judge Addington, a pair of teachers, and the Tennessee Avenue Christian Academy BETA Club were all smiles after the first Workers’ Comp 101 class in the courtroom at the Gray office of the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.