A Christina School District staff member told the board on June 10 that she filed six allegations of abuse against a teacher at a special‑needs school and that district responses amounted to “deflection, procedural ambiguity, and administrative retaliation.”

In public comment, Betty Millar said she filed six separate complaints about the same teacher and, after months of delay and what she described as internal minimization, contacted outside agencies including the Delaware State Police. "There has been more effort to conceal these allegations than to confront them," Millar said. She urged the board to require a published, districtwide abuse‑reporting protocol, parent notification within 24 hours, independent investigations and protections for 18‑to‑22‑year‑old students who may not be able to self‑advocate.

The board president said the board was not previously aware of the specifics Millar described and asked staff to follow up. Board members said they would speak with district leadership, including incoming Superintendent Dr. Deidre Joyner, and promised to provide Millar the applicable board/district protocol. The board did not announce an independent investigation at the meeting.

Why it matters: Millar told the board that months elapsed between incidents she reported and any apparent investigative steps, and that the principal and special services staff classified some reports as "unfounded." She also said some students struggle to communicate, which complicates criminal‑investigative thresholds that the Delaware State Police described to her as requiring student statements. Those procedural gaps are precisely what Millar asked the board and lawmakers to address.

What was said: Millar recounted repeated incidents and said, "When I reported that a teacher was screaming at students, the response was not concern. It was minimization." She said she was told by special services to meet and talk with the teacher rather than remove students or escalate the matter.

Board response and next steps: The board’s public remarks asked staff to file and review the matter through existing district protocols and to share that protocol with Millar. The board indicated it would have conversations with Dr. Joyner and district staff to determine next steps and said it would ensure Millar receives the information she requested. No formal board action, motion, or vote regarding a special investigation occurred during the meeting.

Context and limits: Millar told the board she contacted the Delaware State Police and the governor’s office and requested legislative changes for students who cannot reliably report abuse. The board’s response at the meeting was limited to committing to review and provide protocol documentation. The transcript includes Millar’s allegation that some prior reports were found "unfounded" by school staff; the board did not provide documentation of those findings during the meeting.

Ending: The board said it would follow up with Dr. Joyner and district staff and provide Millar the district policy and reporting steps. Any independent external investigation or legislative action would be separate from the board’s immediate follow‑up and was not launched at the meeting.