Grandfather urges stronger anti-bullying response; board approves ‘Say Something’ reporting app
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Summary
A Jennings County resident told the school board that students are not getting help for repeated bullying; the board approved a memorandum of understanding to adopt the Sandy Hook Promise ‘Say Something’ reporting app for anonymous and 24/7 tips.
Ken Sears, a Jennings County resident and grandfather of students in the system, told the school board that his grandchildren and other students have faced persistent bullying and that school counseling responses have been inadequate.
Sears said students were told to “just walk away” when they reported harassment and that an alleged pattern had persisted for months. “No. These bullies need to get suspended. That’s what needs to happen,” he told the board. “No tolerance is not being done because these kids are still there.”
A board member responding to Sears said the school corporation has “established policies, procedures” for personnel investigations and that administrators are following those processes. The board member also described reporting options including raising concerns with school principals, using the ParentSquare app, submitting anonymous reports via the district website, or contacting the administration office by phone at 346-4483. The board member named several administrators as points of contact: Dr. Johnson, Carrie Manowitz, Todd Ebinger and Mandy Sullivan.
Following the public comment, the board voted unanimously, 7-0, to approve a memorandum of understanding with Sandy Hook Promise to implement the Say Something reporting program for the next school year. Board members described the app as offering anonymous and non-anonymous reporting, 24/7 access, and a connection to local law enforcement and other support when an immediate concern is reported. The motion to approve the MOU passed with a recorded vote of 7-0.
School staff said the district has distributed guidance to parents and students on how to report incidents and encouraged families to escalate unresolved matters to school principals or the administration building so investigations can proceed. The board emphasized that social media presents additional monitoring challenges and asked families to share evidence and use the district’s reporting channels so staff can investigate.
The board’s action authorizes onboarding the Say Something program and does not itself change district discipline policy; the board said existing personnel and student conduct procedures remain in force and investigations will follow established processes.
