Sycamore board pledges transparency, training and ethics reviews after teacherconduct draws community ire

The Sycamore Community Schools Board of Education met in a special session to hear public comment and to discuss next steps after community complaints about the conduct of a teacher at a previous board meeting. Board members and Superintendent Chad Lewis outlined several commitments the board said it will pursue, including publishing the teacherapology letter to the full community, requesting opinion letters from the Ohio Ethics Commission for board members, posting campaign contribution information more accessibly, reviewing staff training and student reporting processes, and placing future disciplinary pay adjustments on board agendas for transparency.

The meeting followed public comment from parents and former board members who said the districtconcerns about inconsistency in how discipline was handled and about transparency around candidate and board member contributions.

"The behavior was completely unacceptable," said Dr. Michael James, a board member, using language other board members echoed during the meeting. Superintendent Chad Lewis said the district had imposed an unpaid suspension and described the disciplinary steps he had taken. Lewis told the board he reduced an initial 45-day unpaid suspension to 15 days as part of an agreement that included therapeutic and training conditions; he also said he does not have unilateral authority to terminate an employee and that termination would require a majority vote of the board.

Residents pressed for clarity on how students would be protected if the teacher returns. Charlotte Jones, a parent, asked specifically how classroom interactions would be monitored "in such a way that doesn't rely on student reporting." Lewis said the teacher is not currently assigned to students and that any plan for return would include steps he must be satisfied with before students are placed in that classroom.

Board members and the superintendent identified several action items they said they would pursue: publish the teacherapology letter to the whole community, request Ohio Ethics Commission opinion letters for board members to address perceived conflicts, place disciplinary pay-withholding items on future board agendas for transparency, publish links or PDFs of campaign finance reports from the Hamilton County Board of Elections, review and report back on existing staff training (including the district's Vector compliance training), reengage the Culture and Climate (formerly Culturally Responsive Practices) team and increase its public visibility, and bring a formal resolution with specific action steps to a future regular board meeting.

Public speakers who addressed the board included former board members and parents who demanded stronger action, including some calls for termination. Members of the board said they would not be able to answer or disclose certain personnel details that are protected by law or attorney-client privilege.

The board approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session. Mrs. Logan called the roll after a motion by Mr. Ballant and a second by Mr. Harris; the four recorded "aye" votes were Mr. Ballant, Mr. Harris, Dr. James and Mrs. Bitter.

The board said it will continue the work in coming months and will return with a resolution describing specific steps and timelines. The meeting ended after public participation and additional discussion of next steps.