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Parent tells board of delayed transparency and safety concerns after Bordeaux bus incident
Summary
A parent said Bordeaux School delayed sharing bus video of an incident in which his first‑grade daughter was assaulted by a fourth‑grade student; he also questioned a $5 per‑student fee for a school trip and asked for more transparency.
A Shelton parent told the school board he has been seeking transparency after an incident on a school bus involving his first‑grade daughter and said he has faced delays in being allowed to view surveillance footage.
William Sullivan told the board he first raised the issue months ago and that district and school responses have not been timely. “I believe the superintendent sent some people down to Bordeaux. We had a meeting, and that was about 3 months after the incident... Now I've been waiting another month because I had to fill out the paperwork to see the bus video. Bordeaux School told me they hadn't seen the video for 3 months,” Sullivan said. He added that a district staff member tasked with student safety was able to view the video more quickly: “He was able to see the video the next day.”
Sullivan described the effects on his daughter: “She had her backpack taken from her, her hair pulled, her glasses taken from her, and her glasses mysteriously came back 4 or 5 days later.” He said the student aggressor was a fourth grader and his daughter a first grader, and that he was pursuing access to the video to understand what happened.
Sullivan also raised concerns about a school fundraising payment the district asked parents to make for a trip: “Why are all the students being told they have to pay $5 per student to go from the middle school to the high school when I already pay for both?... How am I as a taxpayer forced to pay a PTO PTSO?”
Why it matters: The parent requested clearer, faster processes for responding to safety incidents and transparency about how school activity fees are collected and used. District staff acknowledged privacy protections for students but did not provide details during the public comment period.
What’s next: Sullivan said he expected to receive access to the video on March 28 and asked the board to continue investigating; the board did not announce action during the meeting.
