BEXLEY, Ohio — As Bexley students prepared to return to school Thursday morning, the school board heard a lengthy presentation by district administration regarding how staff will deal with student problems.
The plan stems from an incident at the end of the recent school year where two teachers were involved in restraining a student at Cassingham Elementary. Those teachers submitted their resignations at the July 24 special board meeting.
Bexley police were called to investigate that incident and no charges have been filed, which is why 10TV has opted not to name the teachers involved.
High school teacher and Bexley Education Association President Jay Scott spoke about the incident before the presentation.
“There have been rumors, innuendo, and in some cases, direct falsehoods that have created a firestorm of sentiment that was focused solely on two teachers. Ultimately, two of our colleagues are no longer with the districts,” said Scott.
He said teachers have raised concerns over the years about support during tense situations with students, but the district has become complacent in recent years.
Board President Victoria Powers said student and staff safety is an utmost importance in the district and this plan will address that. She mentioned the changes presented by the administration were done in collaboration with teachers in the district.
Teachers in the audience did not speak with 10TV, but their body language of shaking heads and quiet murmurs during the presentation gave away their frustrations.
Scott said despite previous frustrations, there are some reasons for optimism.
"We have had recent discussions with [Superintendent] Dr. [Jason] Fine and with other district-level and building administrators,” he said. “The results of those discussions and the new policies and procedures remain to be seen. Many teachers are cautiously optimistic that this collaborative effort will bring safety and security to all students, teachers and staff.”
The presentation outlined steps of de-escalation in the district and certain training afforded to staff. Physical intervention is a last resort in the district. It also called for an increased importance of communication within staff ranks and more thorough debriefing sessions after an incident involving student de-escalation.
“We're moving in the right direction. We started some conversations a couple weeks ago. I think that's what we're hanging on right now. We've made positive progress, but we need to see more of it,” said Scott.