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Parents submit petition on alleged special‑education mistreatment; board says complaint not proof of guilt
Summary
A group of Cabell County residents submitted a petition asking the county and state education department to bar staff named in a federal civil complaint from working with students with disabilities; board members and counsel said the settled lawsuit is not an admission of guilt and internal investigations found no substantiation.
A group of parents and community members filed a memorandum and petition with the West Virginia Department of Education and the Cabell County Board of Education on Aug. 4 asking that individuals named in a federal civil complaint be barred from working with students with disabilities and that the district take multiple transparency and oversight steps. The petition, read at the board’s Aug. 5 meeting by Susan Swanson, asks for public disclosure of employment and disciplinary status, an independent review of special‑education practices, mandatory trauma‑informed training, and creation of a parent‑led advisory board.
The petition cites a civil action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (civil action number 3:22‑0592) and alleges “disturbing” mistreatment of a nonverbal child, listing behaviors claimed in the pleading and referring to video evidence. The petition called for immediate action to “ensure the safety, dignity and civil rights of students with disabilities.”
Board members and district counsel responded during board comments. Miss Hornbuckle Myers told the board and public that a civil complaint is an allegation and “does not mean it’s true, does not mean it’s false,” and that such complaints are how lawsuits begin. She said the district reported the matter twice to the state investigative unit (IIU) and that IIU did not substantiate allegations against the named individuals. Hornbuckle Myers also said the district’s settlement of the case was a financial decision and not an admission of wrongdoing by the school system.
Susan Swanson requested time during board comments and read the petition in full, saying the group represents “concerned citizens of Cabell County” and urged swift action to restore trust and protect vulnerable students. The petition’s requests included barring the five named defendants from working with special‑education students and publishing any disciplinary actions taken.
The board did not vote on the petition at the meeting. Counsel’s public clarification focused on procedural points — that civil complaints start litigation but are not themselves proof of wrongdoing; that the district is subject to insurance considerations in settlement decisions; and that criminal charges would follow only if evidence reached that threshold. The board did not announce additional investigations or policy changes at the meeting.
The petition and the board’s public response are expected to remain topics of interest in Cabell County as parents and the district weigh next steps.
