Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Safety Bullying topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parent tells Madison County School Board district mishandled bullying investigation at Madison County Central School
Summary
A Madison County parent told the school board that a bullying investigation at Madison County Central School was handled improperly, leaving her child distrustful of staff; board members acknowledged the concern and said they would look into it.
A Madison County parent urged the Madison County School Board to investigate what she called failures in a bullying investigation at Madison County Central School during the board's public-comment period.
Christie Land, who identified herself as a Madison County resident and the parent of a student at Madison County Central School, said her child and a group of girls filed a bullying report that the school’s written investigation treated as a single incident and concluded that "bullying was not found." Land said the written report "sounds as if a child wrote it" and that the investigation was not implemented correctly.
Land said the school placed the accused student and the alleged victim in the same room to tell their stories to each other. "Under no circumstances should an accused bully and the victim be placed in the same room to tell their stories to each other," Land said. She told the board her child "has lost all trust in the faculty" and now begs daily not to go to school.
Why this matters: Land cited research-based risks in her remarks, saying children who experience bullying are "3 and a half times more likely to have significant mental health issues by the age of 17" and noting that "suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10 through 14." Those statistics were presented by Land as part of her appeal for change.
Board response and next steps: Board members acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue. Board member Miss Devin told Land, "when we know better, we do better," and said, "we will look into it." The board did not take formal action during the meeting; no motion or vote regarding the investigation was recorded during public comment. The matter was presented during the public-comment period, and board members said they would follow up through whatever staff or administrative steps are appropriate.
Context and process notes: Land spoke during the meeting's public-comment portion; the board allowed three minutes per commenter. The board's public remarks indicated a willingness to investigate further but did not specify a timeline, reporting requirement, or which staff member would lead the inquiry.
