GROVE CITY, Ohio — The South-Western City School Board of Education unanimously voted to reinstate an elementary school principal after an investigation into an incident involving a student last year.
The board voted on Jan. 8, 2024, to put Buckeye Woods Elementary School Principal Jenniffer Kauffeld on leave without pay.
The principal was put on leave amid an investigation into an alleged incident that happened on Nov. 14 at the elementary school. Grove City police said the school nurse performed a medical examination on a 5-year-old student without the parent’s consent.
Officials placed the nurse and principal on administrative leave while the investigation was underway. It was during the investigation it was determined that the board’s policies were violated, and the actions of both staff members were outside of their job duties. The nurse put in their resignation to the district on Dec. 29 but board said they received a notice on Jan. 11 that the resignation was rescinded. They have been on paid administrative leave since then.
The district did not release additional details regarding the incident because of the circumstances and that it involved a child.
On Monday, the board voted on a settlement agreement to reinstate Kauffeld and she will return to work Tuesday. The agreement says Kauffeld will receive a payment for the salary she would have earned from when she was put on leave. The board also agreed to rescind a resolution to consider her termination.
Parents, teachers, and staff in the district fought for Kauffeld’s return throughout the hearings held by the Southwestern City Schools board.
"The shirt I'm wearing is Jenniffer's motto and she says it to our kids every single morning at the start of school: 100% kindness in actions and words… She's very accessible, she's always out with the kiddos... she does bus duty, she doesn't have to do those things. She really goes the extra mile for her kids,” Chandra Fredrick, a parent in the district, said.
Kauffeld’s husband, Michael, shared how much of a toll something like this can take.
"You spend your entire life in this career and your number one priority is to protect children. Whenever that gets drawn into question, I think it's hard,” Michael said.
The board’s unanimous vote to reinstate Kauffeld means she once again return to doing what she loves.
"I can't wait, I can't wait. I brought my keys with me so I may stop by on the way out just to look at my office,” Kauffeld said.
Despite the uncertainty and struggle the last month brought, Kauffeld managed to find the silver-lining.
"Things happen for a reason, and I truly believe that tomorrow is gonna be one of the better days I've had in my life,” Kauffeld said.
Board President Chris Boso released a statement about Monday night's meeting:
“Over the course of the past few months, the district administration and two different boards of education have spent significant time engaged in this personnel matter,” said Chris Boso, board president. “While the road leading up to tonight’s decision to reinstate the principal has been lengthy and emotional for all parties, as a board, we wanted to leave no stone unturned in terms of a timeline when it comes to matters impacting both employees and student supervision and welfare. Moving forward we intend to further define and clarify expectations for employees as we support student and family partnerships. We welcome back Mrs. Kauffeld to Buckeye Woods Elementary School starting tomorrow (Tuesday).”
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