Teachers at Plain City Elementary School in Utah are under fire after two mothers — Debbie Veldhuizen and Jamie Doak — discovered that their sons were abused in their severe disabilities unit but never told by the school due to privacy concerns. Then, when a teacher’s aide told them, the school fired the aide. They have filed a lawsuit against the school and officials.
Doak said her son, Tucker, was choked and hit by another child in the unit while Veldhuizen said her son, Andrew, was groped through his pants by the other student and verbally attacked.
Aide Holly Wilson claims that she was fired for telling the parents and said that the other student masturbated in front of the other children and was abusive toward both the aides and other students.
Most troubling, she alleged that Principal David Rhees told the aides not to tell the parents and not to give information to either a police investigation Doak requested or to a Department of Child and Family Services investigation
School district spokesman Nate Taggart said the district would not respond to the allegations due to privacy issues.
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When I see stuff like this the first question in my mind is what were those people thinking? Yes of course this is an attempt to cover up potentially damaging information. However,
like the RCC and Priestly abuse, the action flies in the face of the ethical and moral (not to mention legal) considerations.
As an Old Codger my initial response might be that this indicates a loss of previously higher values, but with knowledge of history I can only conclude that there have always been a goodly percentage of us humans where self interest trumps doing the “right” thing.
Buddha, welcome back. Apparently the history teacher at Plain City Elementary hasn’t gotten to the Watergate chapter yet. Of course, neither did the resident historians in the Bush White House.
Buddha,
You are talking about something that you think may have happened. I did not see it. I just heard about it, so it must not exist. Now what were you talking about?
Mike A.,
You’d think if nothing else, Watergate would have been a primer on the fallacy of coverup effectiveness.
many things happen at school i cannot justify. (omg) pardon me while i do a palin. USC 1983, i don’t know what that is.
but i will look it up.
btw, Ft. Worth has closed all 140+ schools until May 8.
Pardon me?
I do not see how under title IX and USC 1983 that could be accurate. You would admit that you are government actors? Could you please explain how this is justifiable policy?
I work in an elementary school and have been told by admin., “what happens in the classroom stays in the classroom.” And speaking with the media about a school matter is a firing offense.
Incidents can occur between students even with excellent supervison. Had the matter been promptly reported to the parents and dealt with, it might have ended there. The impetus for a law suit is frequently not the incident itself, but the effort to hide the truth afterwards.
Patty C:
I think you’re right.
I fear you confused Plain City OH with UT, my friend.
Would that Jonathan Adler School District in Ohio had a
Mission Statement!
But check this out – it’s the nest best thing-from their website đŸ˜‰
http://www.alder.k12.oh.us/metadot/index.pl?id=23605&isa=Category&op=show
AND:
Staying in touch with parents is an important part of what we do. Parent and community opinion help us set priorities and create a vision of what the school system should become. In the past few years, we’ve surveyed many parents about their feelings toward the Jonathan Alder Schools. In our last survey, 1,017 parents out of about 1,350 parents possible, responded overwhelmingly. We’re proud of the top five areas they identified where we were doing a good job.
1) I feel welcome at my child’s school – 95%
2) Children receive a good education in the Alder School System -93%
3) I am kept well informed – 92%
4) The school system rewards hard work and positive behavior – 91%
5) High but reasonable standards are maintained – 91%
“We envision a child-centered school district where each student is given multiple opportunities to achieve his/her academic, social, emotional, and physical potential in a safe, nurturing environment; where caring employees are committed to excellence based on best practices in instruction; and where educators, parents and community members are full partners in the education of children.”
The foregoing is the laudable mission statement (they’re very fashionable in the education establishment now) from the Weber School District, of which Plain City Elementary is a constituent school.
Were it my case, it would be exhibit A in the trial. I also venture a guess Plain City will be anything but after this trial. I wouldn’t think about settling for less than the ad damnum either.
If I was the school I would ask how much this would cost to go away. But if I was the school, I would not answers question either. Maybe Bybee can help them or John Woo can give them legal advice. Do you think that Dick Cheney can categorically deny that this ever happened?
The school aide, oh yes, the one that got fired. Do I hear Whistle Blower suit to follow? Oh it probably does not apply to her, she merely informed the parents. Got it.