Stratford ISD parents attend the Board meeting following reports of teacher misconduct

By Suzanne Bellsnyder, Editor

A packed house of concerned parents showed up on Thursday night at the Stratford ISD School Board meeting, as details emerged this week amid rumors that two separate district staff members had been involved in inappropriate interactions with students.  

More than forty parents attended the meeting to express their interest in the information that might be shared about the incidents.  Superintendent Paul Uttley told the crowd that a report on the situation was not on the agenda and would not be discussed, but invited parents to make public comments.  Two parents signed up to comment during the public comment portion and shared their thoughts.  

"We respect the sensitive nature of allegations being made against multiple SISD employees; we feel disappointed and angered by what seems to be a culture of misconduct. We ask that, following a thorough investigation, the school administrators and school board penalize any complicit parties to the furthest extent possible. It's time to break the cycle," the parent stated, "It is time to break the cycle and seek excellence within every facet of our school system.  At this point, we feel that there is a culture happening, and that's what we're concerned with, a culture of not following the rules for some while others are following them and working really, really hard".

A second parent, who said he moved to Stratford in 2011, shared similar sentiments. "Point blank, we just need to get a rap on this, period. It needs to end. I know you have an investigation to do, and I trust it'll be done thoroughly, and you've got our support as parents, and I hopefully speak for multiple parents, but it's a stain on the community."  Closing with, "We just would like to see it handled professionally and ensure that the culture of misconduct ends. We got a lot of good it's a great community. It's a lot of good kids, good people. And it felt like Stratford was kind of one of the last places that are pushing back against the evils of the world that he that make their way into our children's lives, and we want to see that continue."

A statement released on Wednesday by Uttley, speaking on behalf of the district, said, "The administration initiated an internal investigation into the alleged misconduct of each educator and reported these incidents to local law enforcement and other authorities as required by law and District policy. The school administration will continue cooperating with law enforcement and any other applicable agency to the fullest extent permitted by law."  The complete statement from the district was in last week's edition.

In speaking with us, Uttley reiterated the importance of the investigative process.  When an allegation of this nature is made about a teacher, the district will ask questions based on the information provided. Then, if there is merit to the allegations, the district has a duty to report them to CPS and law enforcement authorities.  The district then will initiate a review of the employee and make an employment decision related to that individual's future employment with the district.   He stressed that an employee's resignation does not stop the investigation and does not prevent the district from reporting the results of the findings to law enforcement or the Texas Education Agency.

Two accusations have been made against SISD employees. Following an internal investigation, the district has placed one of the employees on paid administrative leave according to state law and the district's policies.   According to Uttley, the school district has cleared the second employee.

Uttley stressed that transparency and trust in the district's handling of the incident are a high priority for him and the Stratford ISD School Board.  Uttley said, "The Block "S" means something; it stands for excellence. Stratford is a special place. Stratford is hurting. I hope that they will, that the community will give the school time to show that the accusations are handled in an appropriate manner."

During the Board meeting, President Jo Hinds asked for the community's support as they conducted the investigation, which district policy requires them to do, saying, "We've been through this before, and nothing gets swept under the rug."

This is the second incident of teacher misconduct allegations during this school year in which an SISD employee has been placed on administrative leave. In the earlier incident, the employee retired from the district.