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Parents urge Richmond board to act after alleged special-education incidents and slow investigations
Summary
Multiple parents and staff raised safety and special-education concerns during public comment, including allegations of assault on a nonverbal child, inconsistent communication about investigations and requests for more mental-health support for teachers. Complainants said an Overby Shepherd teacher was escorted off campus but returned to the
Several parents and staff used the public-information period to report incidents involving students with disabilities and to criticize the district's investigative and response timelines.
One parent said her autistic child had been assaulted multiple times while at school, describing incidents in which staff allegedly did not respond when called. She said her child was hospitalized for suicidal ideation and that she received a response from central office only after an investigation had begun. "All this and more has happened to my autistic child under RPS care," the parent said during public comment.
Separately, an Overby Shepherd staff member, Tasha Archer, said a teacher she had reported for alleged abuse and neglect had been escorted off campus April 25 but was back teaching by April 30. Archer said she waited 14 days for a response to her complaint and that parents had not been notified when the teacher was under investigation. "Why were the parents not notified when Miss Crawley was under investigation concerning the abuse and neglect of the children?" Archer asked the board.
Speakers requested clearer timelines, better communication with families, and more mental-health support for teachers who must handle traumatic incidents. Board members acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and said personnel and discipline items would be considered in closed session per statute; they also asked administration to follow up.
What the board did: The board moved to closed session to discuss personnel and discipline matters under Virginia Code exemptions; members also said they would add some items for future public briefings and asked administration to coordinate follow-up with complainants.
Next steps: Complainants and advocates asked the board to provide transparent timelines and to ensure investigations that concern safety or alleged abuse are escalated promptly. The board directed staff to follow the complaint process and to provide updates to the board and, where appropriate, to complainants.
