Lebanon parent tells board children feel unsafe, alleges ignored bullying reports

Jennifer Langdon, a Lebanon City Schools district resident, used her five minutes of public comment to say her family has experienced “ongoing bullying and harassment” and to allege the district and board have not investigated.

“Not 1 person has reached out to investigate the matter or to learn more about why my children do not feel safe attending school here,” Langdon told the board. She said emails and requests for private meetings were ignored and that speaking at a board meeting was the only way to secure attention.

Langdon raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest between board members and district staff. She cited guidance from the Ohio ethics toolkit for public school districts and asked whether personal relationships could be affecting the board’s willingness to investigate allegations. She said she had spoken with district staff and families who described leaving the district or fearing retaliation; she also said she had seen online comments alleging several students lost their lives to suicide in the past four to five years and that bullying was a factor.

Board leadership interrupted Langdon once to warn against personal attacks after she repeated critical comments about named individuals. The board did not announce any formal follow‑up or investigation during the meeting. A separate board member later gave brief remarks to reassure the public that “issues are investigated as appropriate” and that some actions cannot be public because they involve students.

No motion or vote followed Langdon’s comments. The meeting moved on to the superintendent’s report on child nutrition.