Central Bucks School District saw another contentious school board meeting Thursday as parents continued to raise concerns about the fallout from alleged misconduct in a Jamison Elementary special needs classroom and the internal investigation that followed.
Board president Susan Gibson addressed the ongoing tension, noting that she had been heckled at previous meetings, and is doing her best to ensure all public comments are heard and policies are followed.
Lisa Pepper — wife of board member Jim Pepper — spoke publicly for the first time in person about the alleged abuse of her son by a teacher and an aide. She called for the superintendent's resignation over the handling of case.
The board meeting also provided more details about the departure of an assistant superintendent who participated in the district's internal investigation at Jamison, and the hiring of a human resources consultant there.
Lisa Pepper said her 9-year-old son, who "loves to laugh and give hugs" was "treated like an animal" at Jamison.
She criticized administrators for keeping her son in the classroom after the district became aware of the allegations last fall.
She also thanked half of the board for their support, while implying that the other half was dragging their feet. Pepper called for the resignation of Superintendent Steve Yanni at the meeting and urged the board to take action.
Her husband previously called for the resignations of top administrators, including Yanni, however the board has yet to take any vote on removing any personnel. Yanni has not submitted his resignation.
"You appear to want to wait for Leigh Dalton to do the right thing,” she said, referring to the lawyer that the school board appointed to audit the district's initial investigation. Dalton's report is due this spring, likely before May.
The school board directors did not immediately respond to requests for comment or address Pepper's concerns at the meeting.
Another resident at Thursday's meeting questioned whether some of the Jamison allegations outlined in the November whistleblower complaint constituted misconduct or abuse.
Steven Albert suggested that the children may have liked the "pressure" of the alleged restraints, and that wood chips that children were allegedly made to walk barefoot over as punishment for taking their shoes off might serve as a "nudge" to improve their behavior.
He also questioned whether water was withheld because children with autism tend to fixate on things.
Last month, a state investigation, which began after this news organization published a story on the allegations, found that students, including the Peppers' son, had been illegally restrained and "inappropriately" denied water.
The state report describes restraint incidents where students were wedged into their desks between walls and the teacher or aide's body weight was used in order to prevent them from leaving their chairs. All restraint incidents must be reported to parents and the state; the investigation found none of these incidents were.
HR agenda gives more details on recent hiring, departures
Assistant Superintendent Nadine Garvin will now retire May 30, according to a board document. The assistant superintendent is retiring three years before the end of her contract, which also stipulates that her retirement in any year would be effective on July 31, "absent extraordinary circumstances."
Garvin was previously set to retire on June 2, according to an email from Yanni to district staff earlier this month. The retirement announcement came weeks after the alleged misconduct at Jamison came to light.
She participated in the district's internal investigation at Jamison as the assistant superintendent for elementary schools. It is unknown whether Garvin's retirement is related to the investigation or whether it was a consideration in her decision.
Garvin had also taken leave in the weeks leading up to her retirement announcement, according to a board document and an out of office email. The type of leave was not specified.
Thursday's board meeting also provided more details on the HR consultant the school board hired to "assist with any staffing matters" at Jamison Elementary. Cathy Rossi, a retired HR director from Wissahickon School District, started at Central Bucks on March 3. The board has not publicly specified Rossi's job responsibilities at Jamison.
In other personnel news, district COO Tara Houser will switch places with Steve Skrocki, the current CFO at North Penn School District. Houser is set to take over at North Penn later this year. Skrocki will fill in at Central Bucks as interim business administrator until a permanent replacement is found, Yanni announced Thursday night.
Jess Rohan can be reached at [email protected].