When a substitute teacher was accused last month of sexual misconduct, Jim Bartley and other parents at Cloverly Elementary School were stunned. It was not just that they found the allegation horrifying. It was also how often the same Maryland school had been rocked by an arrest.
“Three in 21 months,” said Bartley, a father of four. “We have had enough.”
Bartley spoke as he and a small group of other parents rallied near the Silver Spring school one recent morning in a near-freezing rain to highlight concerns the school has faced in the suburb just outside Washington. They gathered with posters and young children, hoping to get the attention and help of top school officials in Montgomery County...
...Parents such as Bartley, whose youngest child still attends Cloverly, said the 2017-2018 school year began with little communication about the Vigna case and no visible changes in school procedures. That frustrated some families, and their concerns grew when a lunch aide, Sean Kelley, 30, was arrested on child pornography charges in January...
...Principal Melissa Brunson declined to comment through a district spokesman...
...Jennifer Alvaro, a longtime clinician and advocate on sex abuse issues who served on a school system advisory panel, said that best practices should be used at all schools immediately and that it would be unethical to add safety measures at just one school in a 205-school system.
She called for an outside investigation of all cases of sexual abuse in Montgomery County schools and urged the school system to do more to step up background checks, body safety classes and sexual harassment reporting. School culture needs to change, she said.
“I understand Cloverly’s pain and frustration,” she said. “But this is about more than one school.”
What is happening with the lawsuit with the vigna victims? I cant imagine Mont Co is fighting it with all the evidence and conviction
ReplyDeleteMelissa Brunson just got promoted and the school year is almost over. Time to move on, nothing to see here folks.
ReplyDelete“I understand Cloverly’s pain and frustration,” she said. “But this is about more than one school.” It sounds like our 'legal resident scholars' are up to their necks in alligators.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't answer my question, and what pain and frustration in Cloverly? The administration and principle allowed this to happen. The pain and frustration is for the victims who were ostracized for bringing this animal to light.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to directly contact the proper authorities on the matter.
DeleteProper authorities? There are no proper authorities in Montgomery county! They all turn a blind eye and take in the money from residents that also turn a blind eye. The evidence speaks for itself and no one is listening.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/sao/
ReplyDeleteThere are proper authorities
But have pressing priorities
To assist those accused
To be technically excused.
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/01/montgomery-county-initiative-aims-to-fight-hate-bias-in-schools/
ReplyDeleteBut when it comes to fight sexual abuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8E_zMLCRNg