By LINDSEY NAIR
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   An official agreement to return Officer Butch Lewis to Patrick Henry High School was accepted and signed on Thursday by both Lewis and Roanoke's city manager, Darlene Burcham. Lewis will begin his 11th year at the high school when he reports to work Tuesday.

    The agreement, which was provided to The Roanoke Times by Lewis' attorney, Gary Lumsden, has several conditions.

    Lewis' transfer will be temporary, pending the outcome of a joint task force investigation. Those findings should come in mid-November, but no later than the end of the year, the agreement said.

    Lewis will postpone two grievances filed against the city that asked for his return to the high school. When the task force announces its findings, Lewis could be reassigned again, kept at Patrick Henry or voluntarily quit the school resource officer program, the agreement said. Lewis may reinstate his grievances within 10 days of the task force's conclusion if he so desires.

    "I'm just happy to be reassigned," Lewis said Thursday. "Unlike the students, probably, I can't wait for the first day of school. I want to continue working with the kids and the parents to make Patrick Henry a safe place to get an education."

    He said his parents, sister, wife and other family were "overjoyed" to hear the news Wednesday evening. When he got home Wednesday, a sign made by his 14-year-old son and a friend was waiting that read: "We're glad you got your job back" and "You did the right thing."

    Patrick Henry athletic director Woody Deans said the staff is "just thrilled" to have Lewis back.

    "He's put so much into that school," he said. "If someone came in there starting over, they would not know the students."

    Lewis said Thursday that he does not have a problem with postponing his grievances because there are some issues that need to be addressed by the task force. He still hopes Burcham will rescind her plans to routinely rotate school resource officers in the future. Burcham said Wednesday that those plans are still under consideration.

    "I'm not sure anything needs to be addressed with the school resource officer program," Lewis said. "I'm hoping the task force is going to decide the program works well the way it is."

    Lewis was reassigned to traffic patrol on June 6 , five days after he spoke anonymously to The Roanoke Times about discipline problems and the underreporting of school crimes in Roanoke.

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